Malcolm Gladwell

1. Malcolm Gladwell Outlier… - Something that is situated away from or classified differently from a main or related body - A statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others of the sample

2. The Statistical Outlier Outlier: An atypical data point that does not fit with the rest of the data and appears to come from another population - Cohen, Cohen, West, & Aiken (2003)

3. The Statistical Outlier Standard (z) score: the discrepancy of a score from its mean relative to the variability of all scores, or Z = X - MX /SDX

4. One Statistical Outlier IQ  210 7.3 = 210 - 100/15

5. Another Statistical Outlier Z = - 4.3 70 72 68 69 71 73 74 Scoring Average (2000)

6. The Roseto Mystery

7. The Roseto Mystery Stewart Wolf, MD

8. The “Roseto Effect” “In 1963, after the initial period of study, the investigators made a prediction that the loosening of family ties and community cohesion would be accompanied by loss of relative protection of Rosetans from death due to myocardial infarction. By the late 1960s and early 1970s the predicted social change was evident, as was the predicted increase in incidence of myocardial infarction.” (Egolf et al.) (Bangor: 1.2 miles from Roseto; same water supply, same air, same physicians, etc.)

9. Gladwell’s Ambitious Goal “The Rosetans were healthy because of where they were from, because of the world they had created for themselves in their tiny little town in the hills…I want to do for our understanding of success what Stewart Wolf did for our understanding of health.”

10. Gladwell’s Story “The people who stand before kings may look like they did it themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot…It’s not enough to ask what successful people are like…It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn’t”

11. Gladwell’s Story Invariably: without exception (Oxford English Dictionary) “The people who stand before kings may look like they did it themselves. But in fact they are, without exception, the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot…It’s not enough to ask what successful people are like…It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn’t”

12. Another Story: Rags-to-Riches

13. Another Story: Rags-to-Pitches • Advantages? • Grew up poor in Appalachia • Unstable living arrangements, poor schools • Was just over 5’ as high school senior • Broke right arm, learned to pitch lefty • Practiced throwing against a barn • 20 years later… • - 6th all-time Saves • - 86 million in earnings • - 6-time All-Star

14. Another Story: Rags-to-Pitches But wait…“Billy’s family had a reputation for producing good baseball players. His great-great uncle was a semipro pitcher who was said to be the best payer the town ever produced. His grandfather, Buck Wagner, was a star infielder in the 1950s. Buck’s four sons starred for the Marion High School team in the 1960s and 70s. One of these players was Hotsey, the top pitcher in the country.” (Source: JockBio.com)

15. What is the starting point for Gladwell? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcJPYcAwqaQ&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uskJWrOQ97I

16. How to define expertise?

17. A (more) objective definition? The “expertise approach” (Ericsson & Smith, 1991)