Terman

Terman is a surname strongly associated with American psychologist Lewis Madison Terman (1877–1956). A professor at Stanford University, he played a central role in the development of standardized intelligence testing in the United States. He revised the Binet-Simon scale to form the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and contributed to the dissemination and normative framing of IQ testing in educational and clinical settings.

One of Terman’s most influential projects was the Genetic Studies of Genius, a long-term longitudinal study begun in the 1920s that followed a large group of children with high IQs into adulthood to examine their life outcomes. The cohort gained fame as the Termites. The study produced extensive data on education, career achievement, and personality, and it helped shape debates about the heritability and predictive value of intelligence. The work also attracted critique for its methodological choices, sampling biases, and alignment with eugenic-era assumptions, leading to ongoing discussion about its conclusions and ethics.

Beyond Lewis M. Terman, the surname appears in various fields and contexts, carried by other individuals who have contributed to academia, science, and public life. In reference works, however, the name is most closely associated with Terman’s work in psychology and the legacy of the Stanford-Binet and the Genetic Studies of Genius.