AP Lang Outlier vocab

Outlier

A person  who achieves extraordinary success beyond what is normal. Argues success not just created by talent, but by opportunities, timing, culture, and hard work

Accumulative advantage

• Small advantages early in life that builds into much larger  advantages  over  time 

• Explains through hockey players. Kids born earlier in year are older and stronger, so they get better pratice, coaches, which leads to more success then their peers.

Matthew Effect

• People who alreadly have advantages continue gaining more opportunities

• Hockey chapter to eeexplain why children with early advantages receive extra attention and training, while others fall behind.

Individual merit/meritocracy

• Belief that success is earned only through personal talent and hard work 

• Gladwell challenges this belief throughout book by showing that successful people also depend on luck, family background, culture, and opportunities

Self-made man

• Someone believed to have become successful completely on their own 

• Gladwell argues that success is not entirely self made because they had rare opportunites, support systems, and timing. For example, Bill gates, Joe flom, Margita

10,000 hour rule

• 10,000 hours of pratice to master a skill

• Bill gates, beatles, bill joy do it

“Natural”

• Someone who appears born with effortless talent 

• In a study that said that people who don’t put in the effort aren’t going to succeed, which relates to t he 10,000 hour rule.

“Grind”

• People who worked harder than anyone else, yet didn’t reach the top level 

• In study  that they did not find any grinds. Connects to the 10,000 rule. Shows that comes from years of difficult work rather than instant talent

Termites

• The nickname given to kids who are a part of a sociological experiment based on high itelligence to measure their ability to succeed.

• Gladwell explains how some of these genius children  did not become extraordinarily successful, proving that IQ does not guarantee success.

Convergence test vs. Divergence test

• C: challenge analytical intelligence to find one answer  

• D: using imagination and uniqueness that have many possible answers 

• Gladwell uses these tests to show that real life success requires creativity and social skills, not just IQ.

Practical intelligence vs. general intelligence

• P: Knowing how to handle situatiosn and people. "knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it for maximum effect." 

• G: IQ 

• Gladwell explains that successful people often have strong practical intelligence. Knowing how to speek confidently, negotiate, or ask for help. Shown in Oppenhiemer where ie advocated for himself in developing the bomb

Entitlement

• A sense of confidence that allows someone to speak up, question authority, and expect fair treatment 

• Gladwell expalins that middle class kids are often raised to feel entitled to ask wuestions and advocate for themselves, which helps them later in life. Show with that one kid with bumps from deodorant

Concerted cultivation vs. accomplishment of natural growth

• C: parents actively organize activities and encourage discussion 

• A: parents allow children more independence and less structured involvement

White shoe law firms

• Old, prestigious law firms traiditonally dominated by wealthy white upper class men 

• Gladwell explains how jewish lawyers were excluded from these firms, causing them to work in less respected legal fields like corporate takeovers, which later became highly profitable

Demographic trough

• Time period with lower birth rates

• Explains that people born in this time period faced less competition for scoools and jobs, giving them  more opportunities for success.

Meaningful work

• Work that is challenging, rewarding, independent, and gives a  sense of purpose 

• Says  meaningful work is important for success and satisfaction. Connects this idea to  people  who have control over  their work and feel their efforts matter

Feud

• A long and violent conflict between families or groups, often  passed down through generations 

• Gladwell discussess family feuds in the appalachian mountains to explain how cultural traditions from ancestors continued influencing behavior in america

Culture of honor

• A culture where people believe they must defend their reputation and respond strongly to insults or threats

• Gladwell connects  thisidea to  herding societies in Scotland and Ireland, where protection property and reputation was important. He explains that these traditions  influenced violent behavior parts of the American South

Cultural legacy

• Values, traiditons, and behaviors passed down from pervious generations that continue shaping people today 

• Gladwell argues that people inherit cultural habits that affect success, communication, education, and behavior. Korean airline, math  ability for Asian population, family feuds

Mitigated speech/mitigated communication

• Language softened to avoid offfending those in authority 

• Led to miscommunication

Uncertainty avoidance

• The extent to which a culture feels uncomfortable with uncertainty or risk and prefers strict rules and structure 

• Gladwell uese this concept when discussing communcaiton styles and airline safety, explaining how some cultures are less likely to question authority in uncertain situations

Power Distance Index (PDI)

• A measurement of how much a culture accepts unequal power between people of different statue 

• Cause subordinates to use mitigated speech with superiors

Transmitter orientation

• A communication style where the speaker is  responsible for clearly delivering the message 

• Gladwell contrasts this with cultures where listeners are expected to “read between the lines.” He explains that clear transmitter oriented communication improves airline safety

Mechanically oriented vs. skill oriented

• M: focused on using tools, formulas or  memorization. Used to describe Western agriculture in where they used new tools to produce more yields that create mechanical labor

• S: concepts and practiciing problem solving skills. Used to describe how asian countries did not have the money and equipment to improve yields so they resorted to problem solving

• Gladwell discusses these ideas in the  math education  chapter, especially when comparing asian and western approaches to learning mathematics

TIMSS

• An international test comparing student performance in math  and science 

• Gladwell uses TIMSS results to show that students from some Asian countries outperform others in math due to cultural attitudes  toward effort persistence. USed to support the argument that math isn’t something that is hereditary, but something that needs time and consistence to develop and understand

 KIPP Academy

• A network of charter schools focused on discipline, extended learning time, and academic achievement 

• Schools as examples of how  extra opportunities and hardwork can help disadvantaged students  overcome achievement gaps. Maritas bargain

Achievement gap

• Difference in academic performance between groups of students, often based on income or social background 

• Explains that much of the achievement gap grows during summer break beacsue wealthier studences continue learing  while poorer students lose academic progress