The psychology of a prodigious child

Abstract

Recorded the psychological and physical measurements and personal history of an 8.3-yr old prodigious boy. The Stanford revision of the Simon-Binet Scale was used to measure general intelligence. The S's mental age was found to be 15 yrs and 7 mo, and his IQ was 187. He showed extraordinary appreciation for the use of words, and shades of differences in meaning. His vocabulary was that of an average adult. The S also showed a prodigious ability for comprehending and formulating abstract ideas, and for working with symbols. Special tests, including pitch discrimination, free association, and Tapping test, revealed superior performance. His developmental history revealed good health since infancy, with almost no disorders or diseases. He was 3 yrs accelerated in school grading, and was impersonal and agreeable in his attitude towards other children, and his chief diversion was reading. Further, his parents were college educated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)