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Malcolm Gladwell Analysis

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When we think of those with high IQ scores, we often equate them to being successful humans. In other words, the higher the IQ, the more successful the person. Malcolm Gladwell and I disagree. Gladwell believes that “the relationship between success and IQ works only up to a point. Once someone has reached an IQ of somewhere around 120, having additional IQ points doesn’t seem to translate into any measurable real-world advantage.” Gladwell supports this claim by referencing the studies of Terman and Liam Hudson. Often times these high IQ scores are met with a placement in the infamous Gifted and Talented education program. Although I agree with Gladwell and Hudson on the idea that additional IQ points don’t give those with an IQ over 120 any …show more content…
When Terman tested out his hypothesis, he used students he believed would definitely prove his idea. By doing so, he skewed the experiment. He used students that teachers recommended and used his results to come to the conclusion that different races were incapable of being as successful as others. This is simply not true and his means of experimentation don’t even prove it. Terman’s idea of the correlation brings about the idea of putting children into gifted programs in order to help them become more successful. Because I disagree with the fact that success and IQ are correlated, I disagree with implementing gifted programs, especially at a young …show more content…
Gifted programs exemplify the belief that you are either born with something, or you are not. In this case, that something is intellectual ability and talent. This creates a sense of hopelessness in young school children. In the article “Gifted and Talented Programs Dumb Down our Students”, the author brings to light the fact that parents are hyper-focused on proving their child’s intellect, and even compares giftedness a “golden ticket” when it comes to the education system. I completely agree with this author. When a student is in the gifted program, they are given many more opportunities than their peers who are not. Teachers spend extra time ensuring that these gifted students are given the means to excel in life. This harms both categories of students. Kids notice when other students are pulled out of the classroom during a math lesson to play games. They are not unaware of this divide. Said divide ends up harming the students. The gifted students feel that if something is a little hard and they have to work for it, they are failing. The average students shy away from working hard because they have been taught that intellectual ability is fixed and they will never be as smart as their friends in the gifted program- so what’s the point of putting in any effort? The simple fact that the program is called the “gifted” program instills this idea that those in the program are in a way,

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