“THE MATTHEW EFFECT”
From Outliers
Writer’s Notebook
Get out your writer’s notebook, turn to the writing
section and title this
Outliers: The Matthew Effect
Pre-read: The Matthew Effect
Chapter One’s title comes from a verse in the New
Testament (Matthew 25:29)
“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall
have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken
away even that which he hath”
Translated:
People who are already very good at what they do are
given more (and better) opportunities to lead to further
success. People who aren’t very good are usually not
given other opportunities to get better.
This is Gladwell’s claim. What do you think?
Pre-Read: Gladwell’s Proof
Malcolm Gladwell uses several examples to prove his
points:
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Hockey players
Baseball players
Soccer players
Students
Pre-Read: “The Matthew Effect”
We open on a warm spring day in 2007 at a Junior
Hockey League in Canada.
Medicine Hat Tigers vs. Vancouver Giants
Why do you think these guys are so good at
hockey? What did they have to do to get where
they are?
Question 1
What is a meritocracy? What does Gladwell mean
when he says, “Canadian hockey is a meritocracy” on
page 16?
Question 2
At the end of section 1, Gladwell says, “Players are
judged on their own performance, not on anyone
else’s, and on the basis of their own ability, not on
some other arbitrary fact” (17). Do you agree? Why
or why not?
Question 3
Which outliers listed on the bottom of page17 and
top of 18 are you most interested in learning about?
Why?
Question 4
Reread the paragraph on the bottom of page 19 to
20. What does an oak tree have to do with a
successful person? Explain the metaphor.
Question 5
Look at the roster of Medicine Hat hockey players
from 2007 on page 20.
Do you notice anything strange? What is it?
What questions do you have about this phenomenon?
Question 6
Why does Gladwell substitute players’ birthdates for
their names when giving another play-by-play on
page 23?
Question 7
On page 24, Gladwell begins to outline why JanuaryMarch birthdates are best for hockey players. Look
at the following scenario:
Johnny (born January 1, 2001) plays hockey next to
Bobby (born December 31, 2001). What advantage
does Johnny have over Bobby?
Question 8
On page 25, Gladwell references two beloved sports
in America, but unlike hockey, we don’t see a pattern
in birthdates of professionals.
Why don’t we see this same trend in football and
basketball?
Question 9
Why do parents with children born toward the end of
the school year consider holding their child back
before the start of kindergarten? What are they
afraid of?
Question 10
When reviewing TIMSS scores, Kelly Bedard and
Elizabeth Dhuey found that older children in a grade
scored 4% to 12% higher than their younger peers.
Why did the older kids score higher?
Question 11
Gladwell reveals a specific definition for the Matthew
Effect on page 30. Do you agree that those who are
successful are most likely to be given more
opportunities to gain more success? Why or why not?
Question 12
On page 33, Gladwell proposes a solution to making
hockey, soccer, and even school more fair for all
people, regardless of birthday. What do you think
about his solution? Do you agree with him? Would it
make a difference?