Verbal-performance IQ discrepancies on the WISC-R.

Examined discrepancy scores (Verbal IQ minus Performance IQ) for the WISC-R, using the standardization sample--100 boys and 100 girls at each of 11 age levels between 61/2 and 161/2 yrs (2,200 Ss). The occurrence of significant discrepancy scores (Verbal > Performance and Performance > Verbal) was not significantly related to age, sex, or race, although significant relationships were obtained with both parental occupation and intelligence level. The mean absolute discrepancy score (regardless of sign) was about 10 IQ points for each age group, for boys and girls, for Blacks and Whites, and for the different occupational groups. Discrepancy score norms (cumulative distributions) are presented by intelligence level and are interpreted in terms of their clinical significance. Several of these findings closely parallel results of a study of the 1949 WISC by H. G. Seashore (see record 1952-06292-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal-Performance IQ discrepancies on the WISC-R: One more time.

The formula that R. J. Piotrowski (see record 1979-12366-001) used to determine the abnormality of Verbal–Performance IQ discrepancies on the WISC-R gave results that differed greatly from the actual values reported by A. S. Kaufman (see record 1977-07179-001). Since the assumption on which the formula is based, bivariate normality, is met by the WISC-R standardization data, the disparity is puzzling. It is suggested that Piotrowski erred in applying the formula not to IQs but to sums of scaled scores. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Abnormality of the difference and the WISC-R: Comment on Silverstein.

Discusses reactions by C. R. Reynolds (see record 1979-27697-001) and A. B. Silverstein (see PA, Vol 66:00000) to an earlier article by the present author (see record 1979-12366-001) that examined the size of abnormal differences between WISC-R subtest scaled scores and Verbal–Performance IQ scores. An error is acknowledged in the presentation of the Verbal–Performance IQ differences, and the validity of the abnormality of the difference statistic for examining subtest scaled scores is discussed. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

WISC-R subscale patterns of abilities of Blacks and Whites matched on Full Scale IQ.

270 Black and 270 White children (ages 6–16.5 yrs) drawn from the national stratified random sample used in the standardization of the WISC-R were matched on age, sex, and WISC-R Full-Scale IQ to facilitate investigation of the patterns of specific cognitive abilities, as measured by the 12 subtests of the WISC-R, between the 2 racial groups. Multivariate analysis of the patterns of subtest differences between Whites and Blacks and group comparisons on 3 orthogonalized factor scores (Verbal, Performance, Memory) showed small but reliable average White–Black differences in patterns of ability. The IQ-matched racial groups showed no significant difference on the Verbal factor; Whites exceeded Blacks on the Performance (largely spatial visualization) factor; Blacks exceeded Whites on the Memory factor. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Abnormality of subtest score differences on the WISC-R.

Discusses the abnormality of the difference as a method for evaluating the magnitude of differences between pairs of WISC-R subtests. Generally, abnormal differences at the .05 level of significance range from 6 to 7 scaled score points and 8 to 10 scaled score points at the .01 level. Abnormal Verbal–Performance scale IQ differences are also considered. Such differences averaged 18 IQ points at the .05 level of significance and 24 IQ points at the .01 level. The diagnostic implications of the use of the abnormality of the difference for evaluating subtest score differences are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological functions in children treated for acute lymphatic leukemia. A 5-year follow-up of three different age groups of children

All the children, five girls and ten boys aged 8-16 years, mean 11 years, with acute lymphoblastic leukemia which had been diagnosed in 1980, 1981 or 1983 and was still in remission in 1990, were examined. The treatment included intratecal methotrexate, but no irradiation. Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 4.5 years. All the WISC-R IQ-scores were within the normal range (mean Full Scale IQ 109, range 93-142). Six children had a high negative Verbal/Performance split score (mean +/- 23, range -15 to -33). This indicated dysfunction in verbal compared with nonverbal problem solving ability. Only one child had a high positive WISC-R split score (+23). Except for one child, all the scores on the Visual-Motor Integration Test were within the normal range. The Achenbach checklists were completed by parents and teachers. A small increase was found in the total problem scores, but most of the children were evaluated as well adapted.     

Characterization and mutagenesis of the leucine biosynthetic genes of Azotobacter vinelandii: an analysis of the rarity of amino acid auxotrophs

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) was applied (in a Swedish version) in 120 children with Asperger syndrome, autistic disorder, and attention disorders. Using stepwise logistic regression analysis, the WISC's discriminating ability was investigated. The overall rate of correct diagnostic classification was 63%. Further, WISC profiles were analysed within each group. The group with autistic disorder was characterised by a peak on Block Design. The Asperger syndrome group had good verbal ability and troughs on Object Assembly and Coding. The group with attention disorders had troughs on Coding and Arithmetic. The results suggest that Kaufman's Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organisation and Freedom from Distractibility factors rather than verbal IQ and performance IQ account for the variance on the WISC. Furthermore, the Asperger syndrome and autistic disorder groups differed in respect of "fluid" and "crystallised" cognitive ability.     

Validity generalization of the WISC-R factor structure with 10?-year-old children.

Investigated the robustness of the WISC-R factor structure. The generalization sample was composed of 126 10.5-yr-old children. A principal-components method of factor analysis yielded 3 reliable factors (Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, and Freedom from Distractibility). Comparisons of the loadings obtained with the generalization sample and the 10.5-yr-old national standardization sample suggest a high degree of similarity in composition, magnitude, and pattern. Findings support the robustness of the WISC-R's factor structure across divergent 10.5-yr-old samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of altering the daily herbage allowance to cows in mid lactation on the composition, ripening and functionality of low-moisture, part-skim Mozzarella cheese

A retrospective chart review was used to examine sexual behavior (hypersexual, exposing, and victimizing) and cognitive impairment in 200 youth who had serious mental illness. Lower IQ was associated with increased sexual acting-out. For more serious victimizing sexual behaviors, only Verbal IQ differences reached statistical significance. Overall, sexual behavior was strongly associated with a history of sexual abuse. Sexual abuse history was significantly associated only with lower Performance IQ. Therefore, the association between low Verbal IQ and sexual victimizing behavior is distinct from the effects of sexual abuse. Results underscore the importance of verbal cognitive abilities, regardless of overall cognitive level, in the etiology and treatment of sexual behaviors, especially among individuals without a history of sexual abuse.     

Cognitive deficits, learning disabilities, and WISC Verbal–Performance consistency.

Three experiments compared 52 10–11 yr olds with specific learning disabilities (LDs) with controls on several tests of information processing and memory. Results show that (a) LD children with a balanced WISC Verbal–Performance IQ showed some deficit in the semantic processing of auditory verbal material; this deficit was not shown by LDs having a Performance IQ at least 15 points higher than their Verbal IQ; (b) increasing rate of presentation in information processing tasks did not affect the LDs more than the controls; (c) although the LDs showed little or no deficit in auditory digit span, they showed large deficits in short-term memory (STM) tasks involving supraspan auditory messages. A possible causal relationship between the STM deficits and academic disabilities is discussed in terms of an inability of the STM maintenance system to deal with overload. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Frequency of discrepancies between deviation quotients on the WISC-R: A table for clinicians.

J. M. Sattler (1982) presented tables for determining the statistical significance of discrepancies between various WISC-R quotients corresponding to factors. However, the frequency with which a given discrepancy occurs may be a more meaningful statistic for clinicians. Data are presented on the frequency with which given discrepancies occur (in the standardization sample) between the deviation quotient of the Freedom from Distractibility factor and other quotients. Similar data are given for Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Organization. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

WISC-R subtest variability in normal Canadian children and its relationship to sex, age, and IQ.

91 children (mean age 11.5 yrs), screened for absence of emotional and educational disabilities, were tested on the WISC-R and examined for significant subtest variability. Arithmetic, Digit Recall, Comprehension, and Coding differed significantly from the grand mean of all subtests. In a 2nd analysis, subtest variability was examined relative to Ss' sex, age, and overall IQ. Sex differences occurred on Information, Picture Completion, Arithmetic, Coding and Digit Recall. Age differences occurred on Information and marginally on Performance IQ. Sex and Age interacted on Performance IQ, and Sex and IQ interacted on Coding. It is suggested that the absence of sex-specific norms and separate norms for Canadian children may lessen the clinical interpretability of subtest differences on the WISC-R. (French abstract) (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A meta-analysis of sex differences in the effects of unilateral brain damage on intelligence test results.

Linear regression analyses were used to examine 16 studies on the effect of unilateral brain damage on WAIS IQ. Although only 2 of these studies had originally been designed to investigate sex differences, analyses revealed that the proportions of males and females tested had affected the overall outcome. A greater preponderance of men in either the left- or right-lesion groups was associated with larger test-specific deficits in the Verbal and the Performance Scales, respectively. Left-lesioned women showed an impairment on both scales, perhaps because women may use left-hemisphere processing to solve both verbal and ostensibly nonverbal problems. (French abstract) (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity of two scoring systems for measuring cognitive development with the Rorschach.

Examined and compared the validity of H. Friedman's (see record 1953-03693-001) Developmental Level (DL) and J. E. Exner's (1974) Developmental Quality (DQ) as measures of cognitive development. Ss were 134 5–16 yr olds. Results support the convergent and discriminant validity of both DL and DQ, via their consistent relationships with age and various scores on the WISC-R. DL- and DQ-IQ relationships were affected by Verbal–Performance scale IQ discrepancies. Although DL and DQ were highly correlated with each other, they were most strongly related to different types of cognitive ability. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Twins: Patterns of cognitive development as measured on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence.

Appraised cognitive patterning and development for 142 pairs of twins at 4, 5, and 6 yrs of age, based on their test scores on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. Compared with the singleton norms, the twins showed an initial lag at age 4, with Verbal IQ being somewhat more depressed than Performance IQ. By age 6, however, the twins had fully recovered their deficit on both scales and reached parity with singletons. Monozygotic twins displayed relatively high within-pair correlations for Verbal IQ and Performance IQ, and even higher correlations for Full Scale IQ. Dizygotic twins displayed moderate within-pair correlations for the IQ scores, and most were significantly lower than the monozygotic correlations. Further analysis showed that monozygotic twins were also significantly more concordant for the differences between Verbal IQ and Performance IQ, and for the patterning of the subtest scores. Measures of family socioeconomic status and parental education correlated .28-.32 with the twins' IQ at age 6. Results suggest that within a broad range of home environments, the genetic blueprint made a substantial contribution to cognitive patterning and development. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two types of tables for use with the WAIS-R.

Confidence intervals for the WAIS-R were computed for the Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ scores. IQ intervals for the 85, 90, 95, and 99% levels of confidence are reported for each of the 9 standardization sample age groups and the entire sample. Differences between Verbal and Performance IQ scores required for 90 and 99% levels of significance are also reported. All values are computed on the basis of the standard errors of measurement reported in the WAIS-R manual for the standardization sample. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological sequelae of central nervous system prophylaxis in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

We assessed neuropsychologically 106 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who had all received cranial irradiation for the prevention of central nervous system (CNS) leukemia 1–23 years previously. Children were assessed for adverse late effects of their therapy, using age-appropriate Wechsler measures of overall intellectual ability and supplementary tests. Forty-five siblings near in age to the patients were tested as controls. The patient who had had the most intensive CNS prophylaxis were found to have a WISC-R Full Scale IQ 17 points lower than the sibling control group. Performance IQ was more affected than verbal IQ. The patients were more easily distracted and less able to concentrate. The severity of the aftereffects was related to younger age at the time of CNS prophylaxis and to a higher dose of cranial irradiation but not to time since CNS prophylaxis. CNS prophylaxis using a combination of cranial irradiation and intrathecal methotrexate has lowered the incidence of CNS relapse in childhood ALL but is associated with considerable long-term morbidity in survivors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparability of the WAIS and the WAIS—R: A consideration of level of neuropsychological impairment.

Subjects of varying levels of neuropsychological impairment who were administered the revised version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R) were found to obtain significantly lower Full Scale, Verbal, and Performance IQs than a comparable group of subjects who were administered the original version (WAIS). Significant main effects for level of impairment were found for all IQ measures irrespective of the Wechsler scale administered. No significant interactions of Scale?×?Level of Impairment were found for any IQ measure. The results provide the first empirical support for neuropsychologists' use of a standard expected difference between WAIS and WAIS-R IQ scores as a baseline for assessing changes in intellectual functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Further appraisal of the Verbal scale as a short form of the WAIS.

Verbal IQ from the WAIS has been found to overestimate Full Scale IQ, and consequently, the Verbal scale has been judged unsatisfactory as a WAIS short form. To investigate this question further, a regression equation relating Verbal and Full Scale IQs was derived from the scores of 100 psychiatric and medical patients and was cross-validated on a 2nd sample (40 Ss from the same S pool). In both groups, scores were highly correlated, and Verbal IQ significantly exceeded Full Scale IQ. Regression estimates, however, closely estimated mean Full Scale IQ, suggesting that the Verbal scale can serve effectively as a WAIS abbreviation. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Speech and language development of children born at < or = 32 weeks' gestation: a 5-year prospective follow-up study

Speech and language comprehension and production were assessed at the age of 5 years in a cohort of children born preterm at < or = 32 weeks' gestational age (N=55) in comparison with children born at term and of similar age, sex, and social backgrounds. Data both including and excluding major neurological disabilities are presented. Mean performance for the entire group of preterm children was significantly lower than for the controls on most of the measures including the composite IQ scores. When the nine children who had major neurological disabilities were excluded from the preterm group, statistically significant differences were found on four of the total 12 speech and language measures. Intellectually normal preterm children without major neurological disability were slower than the controls on rapid word retrieval. In addition, difficulties in comprehending relative concepts were typical for the preterm children. The results suggest 'subtle dysnomia', which is indicative of later reading problems. On global verbal measures and on the basic speech and language aspects the study groups did not differ. Specific language impairment, defined as a discrepancy of > 1SD between Performance IQ and Verbal IQ scores, showed a tendency to be more common in the control group. Within both the study groups, the boys showed a tendency for a greater discrepancy between their Performance and Verbal IQ scores.