WAIS "analytic index" and rehospitalization of schizophrenic servicemen.

Presents an analysis of WAIS protocols of 98 servicemen obtained 1 wk. prior to hospital discharge. All Ss had experienced an acute schizophrenic episode and had recovered sufficiently to be judged capable of returning to full duty. For 6 mo. following their return to duty, they were intensively studied. The hypothesis that the Ss who were rehospitalized would show a lower mean "analytic index," as defined by Witkin, Dyk, Faterson, Goodenough, and Karp, than those who successfully reintegrated was confirmed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Errors in intelligence estimation with short forms of the WAIS.

Because the full Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) generally takes more than an hour of the clinician's time to administer, short forms based on a selection of subscales are often substituted. The present study shows that in many cases such short forms may give seriously inaccurate results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of the WISC and WAIS at chronological age sixteen.

A group of 30 Ss was tested with the WISC and 4 wk. later with the WAIS. During this interval they all passed their 16th birthdays. Since chronological age is constant, correlations were calculated for the various IQ scales of the 2 tests and indicated that IQs obtained at age 16 from the 2 scales are highly comparable. The mean IQs and standard deviations of the experimental groups were not significantly different from the mean IQs and standard deviations of the standardization groups. In the case of the Full Scale IQ, differences in individual Ss ranged from -11 to +13 points with a mean at +2.4 points (WAIS -WISC). In general, the results indicate that the transition from the WISC to the WAIS at age 16 introduces no significant errors in IQ determination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validities of short WAIS batteries.

Several short forms of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale based upon several different rationales have been developed in recent years. The present study presents results of a cross-validation of 49 different short forms. Unlike previous studies, the short forms are cross-validated on both a psychiatric and on a nonpsychiatric population. Results revealed that for both the psychiatric and the nonpsychiatric populations (a) the mean estimated and the mean Full Scale scores were significantly different in only 3 of 98 comparisons; (6) correlations between estimated and obtained Full Scale scores were in the high .80's or .90's; (c) in the great majority of instances subjects were placed within one classification of their intelligence classification as revealed by scores on the total test. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The generality of the WAIS standardization for the aged: A regional comparison.

"This study reports WAIS data on 239 elderly subjects above age 60 from the Durham, North Carolina, area. In view of the absence of national norms above age 65 for the WAIS and the suggested use of data from 352 subjects from a Kansas City study as tentative norms, it seemed especially appropriate to compare these latter with the Duke data. Stable differences were found between the samples, with the Duke groups showing supriority in the Verbal subtest scores and lower achievement in the Performance subtests. No satisfactory explanation of these differences is offered, other than the possibility of regional influences. The need for establishing national norms on a national sample of the aged is demonstrated." From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4FI20E. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of partialing out postmorbid WAIS scores in a heterogenous sample: Comment on Golden et al.

This comment addresses recent concerns about the effects of partialing out postmorbid Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) scores from the relationship between the Luria-Nebraska (LNNB) and the Halstead-Reitan (HRB) neuropsychological batteries. Such concerns are valid only when attempting to examine the sensitivity of the two batteries to discriminate between diagnostic groups. However, when knowledge of group membership is lost by collapsing data across diagnostic groups, it is not possible to attribute variance to specific factors such as the presence or degree of brain dysfunction. In such a design, partialing of the WAIS does not "correct" for brain damage but reflects the degree of association across groups between the LNNB and HRB independent of their common overlap with the WAIS. Independent of the WAIS, the data indicate that the two batteries are not "equivalent," and appear to assess different ranges of behavioral variability. This difference is not necessarily negative and may have positive implications for the practice of neuropsychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

WAIS-R Information subtest item bias for Canadian high school students.

The WAIS-R Information subtest was combined with 21 potential substitute Canadian content items and group-administered to 119 high school students ranging in age from 16 to 19 years. Seven acceptable substitute items were identified. Mean scores on the American items for the 16-17 and 18-19 age groups suggested that Canadians of these ages are not penalized by American content with respect to either Verbal or Full Scale IQ. Nevertheless, the research identified eight Information items, four easier and four more difficult than the standard WAIS-R implies. Similar results were noted in two previous studies of the WAIS-R, and indicate the extreme caution required for the clinical interpretation of intra test scatter. There is also evidence that item difficulty within the Information subtest may vary with the age of the subject. These results were considered indicative of the necessity for Canadian content Information items and the development of Canadian norms for an adapted WAIS-R Information subtest. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Standardization of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale for older persons.

The primary purpose of this project is the standardization of the WAIS for older groups. A probability sample of the population of Kansas City was drawn and 475 persons, aged 60 and over, were given all the Verbal tests. For approximately 25% of these cases, one or more of the performance tests could not be used for various reasons. In addition to the standardization data, it was found that a) additional time makes very little difference in the scores; and b) the differences between the sexes on the WAIS were quite small. In general, the decline of verbal abilities with age is relatively small until about age 70. The decline in Performance measures is somewhat greater. There appears to be a similar factorial composition of the WAIS at all age levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

General Ability Index for the WAIS-III: Canadian Norms.

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III; Wechsler, 1997) permits the calculation of both traditional IQ and Index scores. The Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Organization indexes are the most highly "g" loaded compared to the Working Memory and Processing Speed indexes that may be more sensitive to some neuro-cognitive disorders. In certain clinical situations, a general ability composite score based on the combination of only the verbal and performance indexes is desirable. Following the procedure for calculating a General Ability Index (GAI; Prifitera, Weiss, & Saklofske, 1998) for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-HI; Wechsler, 1991) and the WAIS-III (Tulsky, Saklofske, Wilkins, & Weiss, 2001), GAI normative tables for the WAIS-III Canadian standardization sample are reported here to complement earlier published GAI Canadian norms tables for the WISC-III. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between institutionalization, other demographic variables, and the structure of intelligence in chronic schizophrenics.

A factor analytic investigation was carried out studying the relationship between length of institutionalization and several other premorbid-demographic variables and the structure of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) in a sample of chronic schizophrenics. Only 3 of these background variables were related to WAIS subtests. 2, education and aging, differentiated within this sample the same way as in the general population: i.e., education was associated with generally higher performance on all subtests while aging was selectively related to lowered psychomotor and memory/attentional functioning. The 3rd, length of institutionalization, showed negative relationship with Comprehension score, suggesting some impairment in social judgment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Energy deployment and achievement.

The basic hypothesis of the study was that the capacity for directed and focused expenditure of energy is an essential part of academic and extra-curricular achievement. 38 undergraduates of comparable intelligence were administered the Digit Symbol subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) under neutral and stress conditions. High achievers were found to demonstrate a relatively stable pattern of greater Digit Symbol productivity with less pressure of writing, as indicated by the number of carbons upon which impressions of writing were visible. This pattern was evident after stress as well. Important individual differences in capacity to effectively channel one's energies into an assigned task is suggested, and these differences are discussed as important determinants of achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Edith Kaplan (1924–2009).

This article honors the life accomplishments of Edith Kaplan. She is widely regarded as the mother of clinical neuropsychology; she passed away on September 3, 2009, at the age of 85. Her modifications to the original Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and Wechsler Memory Scale led to the development of a new school of clinical neuropsychology known as “the process approach,” of which Kaplan is unequivocally regarded as the pioneer and chief architect. She is best known for her work in test development, and she is the lead or senior author on numerous assessment instruments designed for both children and adults that are used nationally and internationally. At the time of her death, Kaplan was working as a professor of psychology at Suffolk University, an adjunct professor of neurology and psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, and an affiliate professor of psychology at Clark University. And, of great importance to the field, she continued to be vigorously involved in her most beloved activity of all, teaching students about neuropsychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing the Canadian and American WAIS-III normative systems in inpatient neuropsychiatry and forensic psychiatry.

Canadian clinicians have used American norms for adult intelligence tests for more than 60 years. However, the availability of the Canadian norms for the WAIS-III prompts clinicians in Canada to make a decision regarding which norms to use in clinical practice. The purpose of this study is to compare the interpretive effects of applying American and Canadian normative systems in a sample of 100 forensic psychiatry and neuropsychiatry inpatients. The Canadian normative system yielded scores that were systematically lower than the American scores. Thus, clinicians may conclude greater impairment in intellectual ability when using Canadian norms. The index scores that were most similar were Processing Speed followed by Verbal Comprehension. With the exception of these two indices, clinically different conclusions might be derived on 13-21% of individual IQ or Index scores for these patients. The scores that differed the most were the Full Scale IQ and the Performance IQ. The subtests, in general, were highly similar across the normative systems, although scores using the Canadian norms were systematically lower. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Research with the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Adults.

The past 5 years of research with the adult Wechsler scales is critically reviewed. Most investigators used the most recently developed scale, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Topical coverage includes: comparative validity; short forms; special populations and applications; refinements and critiques; personality correlates; investigations of diagnostic value; special diagnostic groups; and scatter, patterns, and diagnosis. The 197 articles reviewed show that there is no diminution in the number of researches in the area. While the quality of the research has improved, too many investigators repeat the errors contained in earlier studies, despite the periodic publication of these critical reviews. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Research with the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale: 1950-1955.

Research concerned with the W-B as a test of general intelligence and as a diagnostic aid is summarized in this article. In comparison with an earlier review of the research with the W-B (see 26: 930) there has been an increase in the number of well controlled studies. In addition, it was noted that "research with psychiatric syndromes has been reduced, whereas a larger proportion of the studies reviewed deal with the W-B as a test of general intelligence, investigating its reliability, validity, rationale, etc." Research using various psychiatric populations and employing various scatter and patterning methods remains inconclusive. Methodological weaknesses in the current research are pointed out and new areas of research endeavor with the instrument are suggested. 139-item bibliography. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Education-Stratified Base-Rate Information on Discrepancy Scores Within and Between the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition.

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Third Edition (WAIS-III; D. Wechsler, 1997a) and the Wechsler Memory Scale--Third Edition (WMS-III; D. Wechsler, 1997b) are 2 of the most frequently used measures in psychology and neuropsychology. To facilitate the diagnostic use of these measures in the clinical decision-making process, this article provides information on education-stratified, directional prevalence rates (i.e., base rates) of discrepancy scores between the major index scores for the WAIS-III, the WMS-III, and between the WAIS-III and WMS-III. To illustrate how such base-rate data can be clinically used, this article reviews the relative risk (i.e., odds ratio) of empirically defined "rare" cognitive deficits in 2 of the clinical samples presented in the WAIS-III--WMS-III Technical Manual (The Psychological Corporation, 1997). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The joint WAIS-III and WMS-III factor structure: Development and cross-validation of a six-factor model of cognitive functioning.

During the standardization of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (3rd ed.; WAIS-III) and the Wechsler Memory Scale (3rd ed.; WMS-III) the participants in the normative study completed both scales. This "co-norming" methodology set the stage for full integration of the 2 tests and the development of an expanded structure of cognitive functioning. Until now, however, the WAIS-III and WMS-III had not been examined together in a factor analytic study. This article presents a series of confirmatory factor analyses to determine the joint WAIS-III and WMS-III factor structure. Using a structural equation modeling approach, a 6-factor model that included verbal, perceptual, processing speed, working memory, auditory memory, and visual memory constructs provided the best model fit to the data. Allowing select subtests to load simultaneously on 2 factors improved model fit and indicated that some subtests are multifaceted. The results were then replicated in a large cross-validation sample (N=858). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An abbreviated form of the WISC for use with emotionally disturbed children.

Many clinicians faced with the demands of research and limited clinic time have employed a short form of the standard intelligence tests. These abbreviated versions typically recommend administering 3-5 subtests in full and completely omitting the rest. The present study explored the possibilities of developing an abbreviated form of the WISC for use with emotionally disturbed children which would permit the usual scatter analysis performed with the full scale and also afford a genuine saving in time. The WISC records of 40 females and 107 males ranging in age from 6.0-15.11 and in Full Scale IQ from 70-148 were rescored according to an abbreviated schedule. Correlations between this abbreviated form and the full administration ranged from .76 on Picture Completion to .94 for Block Design. The correlations for the Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs were .96, .93, and .97, respectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differentiation of abilities, socioeconomic status, and the WISC.

The study investigated the effect of an increase in age on the factor structures of the subtests of the WISC, and the relationship between subtest scores and socioeconomic status (SES). The scores of 70 Ss, tested at ages 10 and 12, were factor analyzed and structures at the 2 age levels compared. The sample was also divided into high and low SES groups, and subtest means calculated for each group. At both age levels, between-group mean differences were significant at or beyond the .05 level of confidence in the case of verbal subtests, while factor structures, which were similar, indicated a trend towards integration of abilities. The structures defined 2 main factors, identified as verbal and performance IQ, respectively. (31 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ipsative Comparisons of Index Scores for the Canadian WAIS-III.

The Canadian standardization of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Third Edition (WAIS-III; Wechsler, 1997a, 2001) provides factor-based index scores, giving an intermediate level of analysis between IQ scores and individual subtests. This article provides tables for comparing all indices to the mean index score, and for identifying the statistical significance and relative frequency of obtained differences. This simultaneous or ipsative approach can avoid some of the statistical and logical pitfalls of multiple pairwise comparisons, such as decreased interpretability and inflated risk of Type I errors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)