I do not want to repudiate civilization as we know
it, or even to dismiss intelligence tests as irrelevant
or unimportant, but I do want to state, as em-
phatically as possible, that Terman's studies do not
demonstrate unequivocally that it is the kind of
ability measured by the intelligence tests that is
responsible for (i.e., causes) the greater success of
the high-IQ children. Terman's studies may show
only that the rich and powerful have more oppor-
tunities, and therefore do better in life. And if that
is even possibly true, it is socially irresponsible to
state that psychologists have established "beyond a
doubt" that the kind of ability measured by intel-
ligence tests is essential for high-level performance
in our society. For, by current methodological
standards, Terman's studies (and others like them)
were naive. No attempt was made to equate for
opportunity to be successful occupationally and
socially. His gifted people clearly came from
superior socioeconomic backgrounds to those he
compared them with (at one point all men in Cali-
fornia, including day laborers). He had no un-
equivocal evidence that it was "giftedness" (as re-
flected in his test scores) that was responsible for
TABLE 1