Outline

David Wechsler some history

Wechslers Scales
IQ scores
Index scores
Verbal subtests
Performance subtests
WAIS Psychometrics
 David Wechsler (1896 1981)
Studied at Columbia
University (M.A., 1917;
Ph.D., 1925)
Went to France with US
Army in 1919, then to
London
Studied with Pearson &
Spearman
Also with Anna Freud in
Vienna
 David Wechsler
Worked at NYs Bellevue Hospital.
Unhappy with the Stanford-Binet
Content appropriate only for children
Rapport problems if used with adults
Produces only a single score
Norms not appropriate for adults
Binets emphasis on speed hurt older adults scores
 Wechsler Scales
1939: the Wechsler-Bellevue, later called the WAIS.
1945: the Wechsler Memory Scale
1949: the childrens version, the WISC
1955: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
1967: the WPPSI for children ages 2 -7
1981: WAIS-R (revised form of 1955 test)
1997: WAIS-III
 Wechsler Scales
Intelligence is the aggregate or global capacity of the
individual to act purposefully, to think rationally and to
deal effectively with his environment.
David Wechsler (1939)

global: one score ultimately describes a persons

intellectual ability
aggregate: that one score is composed of a number of
sub-scores
 Wechslers original test
Wechsler believed that intellectual ability
involves two major types of skills: verbal and
performance abilities.
Each of these broad types includes a variety of
specific skills that are assessed by the various
subtests of the WAIS.
However, all these subtests measure g as well
as specific skills
 Full Scale IQ

Verbal IQ Performance IQ

VCI WMI POI PSI

Vocabulary Digit Span Block Design Digit-Symbol

Similarities Arithmetic Matrix reasoning Coding
Information Letter-Number Picture completion Symbol Search
Picture arrangement
Comprehension Sequencing
Wechsler test produced 3 IQ scores
Full-scale IQ: reflects both verbal and
performance IQs
most reliable and valid
score extracted from
WAIS
why do you think this is
the most reliable?
Wechsler test produced 3 IQ scores
Verbal IQ: Responses require
person being tested to
use language to
understand instructions
or to make a response
Wechsler test produced 3 IQ scores
Performance IQ: Performance subtests
involve doing
something, not just
answering questions
 Structure of the WAIS
WAIS-III has four index scores:
verbal comprehension
working memory
perceptual organization
processing speed.
Index scores added recently because, with
new subtests, factor analysis suggests these
four factors
 Index scores
Verbal comprehension assesses general verbal
skills, such as verbal
fluency, ability to
understand and use
verbal reasoning, and
verbal knowledge
based on both formal
and informal
educational
opportunities,
 Index scores
Working memory Encode information into
The blackboard of the STM, store it there,
mind (Goldman-Rakic, retrieve it when needed
1992) Manipulate information
(e.g., addition)
Thinking, learning,
planning
 Index scores
Perceptual organization Use visual, spatial, and
visually-guided motor
skills
Organize thoughts
Assesses comfort with
new, unfamiliar
situations
 Index score
Processing speed
The speed at which
cognitive processes can be
carried out
focus, scanning speed,
sequentially ordering visual
information
sensitive to motivation,
difficulty working under
time pressure.
biological
cultural factors have little
impact
 WAIS Verbal Tests
Vocabulary
Similarities
Arithmetic
Digit Span
Information
Comprehension
Letter-Number Sequencing
 Vocabulary
Subject is given one The best single measure
word at a time, asked to of g
define it Correlation of
Sensitive to word vocabulary score with g
knowledge, linguistic is .83
development, acquired
knowledge, verbal
expression ability,
crystallized intelligence
 Vocabulary
Very stable Of all WAIS subtests,
Resistant to effects of the one most resistant
poor concentration in to brain damage
schizophrenia Thus, allows a good
Not affected by mild estimate of pre-morbid
concentration trouble functioning
 Similarities
Task is to say how two Earlier items in series
(superficially) dissimilar are known through
items might be similar experience (e.g., In
Evaluating details what way are a cake
which details are and a pudding alike?)
diagnostic? Later items require
abstract thinking (e.g.,
How are affection and
approval alike?
 Similarities
Logical, abstract With Information
thinking subtest, the second best
Concept formation for measuring g
Crystallized and fluid Correlation with g =.79
intelligence
 Similarities
Of VCI (Verbal Score on this subtest is
Comprehension Index) impacted by
subtests, the one least psychopathology, and
affected by formal by brain damage esp.
education or learning left hemisphere lesions
 Arithmetic
Assesses working Correlation with g is r
memory, numerical = .75
reasoning, computation
skill, concentration,
retrieval from LTM
Influenced by emotional
state
 Digit Span
Repeat a series of up to Attention, auditory
7 digits in correct order memory and
Digits presented 1 per sequencing, short term
second memory, mental
Tested both Forward alertness, sequential
processing, cognitive
(DSF) and Backward
(DSB) flexibility
 Digit Span
Average 6.4 digits Correlation with g:
forward, 4.7 backwards r=.57 (the worst)
DSF DSB 5 suggests
brain damage
 Information
Acquired knowledge, Correlation with g: r = .79
crystallized intelligence, (2nd best)
fund of information, range Failure on easy items
of general factual followed by success on
knowledge, long term harder items suggests
memory retrieval difficulties
Affected by formal Resistant to
education opportunities psychopathology and brain
damage good estimate of
pre-morbid functioning
 Comprehension
3 different kinds of Assesses social and
questions: moral reasoning,
Appropriate responses judgment, verbal
to hypothetical concepts, knowledge of
situations ordinary standards of
Logical explanations for behavior, practical
everyday actions information
Proverb interpretations
 Comprehension
Rewards conventional g: correlation r = .77
responses, not creative
ones
R Hem patients may
score high (their L Hem
intact so they know
answers) but still
behave inappropriately
 Letter-number sequencing
Optional not needed g: correlation r = .65
to compute IQ Impaired by anxiety,
Task is to re-order weak attention focusing
intermixed, randomly- ability
sequenced numbers Dropping a letter:
and letters attention problem
Taps STM, sequential Mixing up letters:
reasoning ability, sequencing problem
planning
 WAIS Performance Tests
Picture completion
Digit symbol-coding
Block design
Matrix reasoning
Picture arrangement
Symbol search (optional)
Object assembly (optional)
 Picture Completion
Task: say what detail is Alertness, attention to
missing from a picture. detail
Timed response LTM (Visual)
Pointing response is Crystallized intelligence
allowed R Hem skill
Raises issue of pointing g: correlation r = .64
precision (trained
examiner required)
Digit Symbol Coding

X
2

9 1 6
3
 Digit Symbol Coding
Visual STM g: correlation r = .59
Psychomotor speed Very sensitive to any
Visual-motor kind of brain damage
coordination
Visual sequencing
Accuracy & speed
 Block Design
Assesses visual-motor g: correlation = .72
coordination, visual Affected by R Hem
analysis & synthesis, damage
spatial visualization Bizarre solutions may
Visual input, motor indicate dementia
output
Fluid intelligence
Trial & error learning
 Matrix Reasoning
4 types of stimuli: ?

pattern completion
classification
analogy
serial reasoning
Subject given a series of
matrices and must say
what goes in the empty
cell
 Matrix reasoning
Measures abstract g: correlation r = .72
thinking, nonverbal
reasoning, analogy skill
Fluid intelligence
Visual organization
 Picture Arrangement
Task is to put a series of Non-verbal reasoning
(randomly-ordered) Possibly social skill
pictures into narrative Fluid & crystallized
order (so they tell a intelligence
coherent story)
Planning
As if you found a comic
Time concepts
strip jumbled up and
had to order the frames
sensibly
 Picture Arrangement
Failure may be due to g: correlation r = .66
visual problems
(compare with Picture
Completion)
 Symbol Search
Optional not needed 120 seconds allowed
to compute IQ How many can subject
Subject shown two do in that time?
target abstract symbols
and asked whether
either target appears in
a set of probe symbols
 Symbol Search
Visual-motor g: correlation r = .70
coordination and speed,
planning, STM,
perceptual speed
Large practice effects in
young adults
 Object Assembly
Subject given pieces of Taps knowledge of part-
a puzzle whole relationships,
Task is to assemble visual-motor
pieces into a whole coordination,
anticipation of
relationships among
parts
Fluid intelligence
 Object Assembly
Sensitive to cerebral g: correlation r = .62
damage, especially in R
Hem
Sensitive to disorder
called neglect
 Scales and Norms for the WAIS
Determine raw score for each subtest.
Convert raw scores to standard scores, called
scaled scores (M=10, SD=3)
Convery to standard scores using tables for age
(13 age groups).
Subtest scaled scores are added, then converted
to WAIS-III composite scores.
Three composite scores: Verbal, Performance,
Full Scale, each with M=100, SD=15
 Standardization of the WAIS
Standardized on a stratified sample of 2,450
adults representative of the US population
aged 16-89.
There were 200 cases per age group, except
for the smaller numbers in the two oldest
groups.
Still difficult to know the effects of self-
selection since participants had to be
invited and accept to be included.
 Reliability of the WAIS
Internal consistency and About .90 for
test-retest reliabilities . performance and these
95 or higher for full index scores:
scale and verbal scores. perceptual organization,
working memory, and
processing speed.
 Reliability of the WAIS
Internal consistency Generally, performance
reliability for the reliabilities are lower
subtests range from than verbal reliabilities
upper .70s to low .90s. on the subtests.
Test-retest is about .83.
Why might that be?
 Validity of the WAIS
We have a great deal of information on
criterion-related and construct validity.
Factors analyses support use of 4 index
scores.
Most widely used ability test today
 Johnson et al. (2004)
Measured correlation between WAIS scores
and two other test batteries:
Comprehensive Ability Battery (CAB)
Hawaii Battery + Ravens
These batteries varied in their subtests, but
correlations were essentially perfect
 Comprehensive Abilities Battery
1. Numerical Ability Computations including fractions, decimal divisions,
square roots, etc.
2. Spatial Ability Interpretation of two-dimensional figural rotation or
reversal.
3. Memory Span Recall of digits presented aurally.
4. Flexibility of Closure Identification of embedded figures.
5. Mechanical Ability Identification of mechanical principles and tools.
6. Speed of Closure Completion of gestalt.
7. Perceptual Speed Evaluation of symbol pairs.
8. Word Fluency Production of anagrams.
9. Inductive Reasoning Identification of pattern in sequences of letter sets.
10. Associative Memory Rote memorization of meaningless pairings.
11. Meaningful Memory Rote memorization of meaningful pairings.
12. VerbalVocabulary Multiple choice among possible synonyms.
13. VerbalProverbs Interpretation of proverbs.
14. Spelling Multiple-choice identification of misspellings.
 Hawaii Battery + Ravens
15. Card Rotations Matching of rotated alternatives to probe.
16. Mental Rotation Identification of rotated versions of 2-D pre-presentation of 3-D objects.
17. Paper Form Board Outline of cutting instructions to form the target figure.
18. Hidden Patterns Identification of probe figures in more complex patterns.
19. Cubes Identification of matched figures after rotation.
20. Paper Folding Identification of unfolded version of a folded probe.
21. Raven Identification of analogous figure to follow a sequence of figures.
22. Vocabulary Multiple choice among possible meanings.
23. Subtractn/Multn Completion of two-digit subtractions and two-digit by one-digit
multiplications.
24. Word Beg/Endings Generation of words beginning and ending with specified letters.
25. Pedigrees Identification of familial relationships within a family tree.
26. Things Categories Generation of things that share assigned characteristics.
27. Different Uses Generation of novel uses for specified objects.
28. Immed Vis Mem Recall of illustrations of common objects immediately following
presentation.
29. Delay Visl Mem Recall of illustrations of same common objects after delay.
30. Lines and Dots Trace a path through a grid of dots.
31. Identical Pictures Identification of alternative identical to probe.
 Johnson et al. (2004)
Correlations:
WAIS Hawaii Battery + Ravens 1.00
WAIS Comprehensive Ability Battery 0.99
Hawaii CAB 0.99

These results constitute strong evidence for g and

show that the one-factor result does not depend
upon particular tasks
 WISC-III
Most popular test for assessing intellectual
ability of children ages 6 years, 0 months to 16
years, 11 months.
Similar to structure of the WAIS, with easier
items
Both tests yield verbal, performance, and full
scale IQ and 4 index scores
Most of the subtests are the same
Psychometric Properties of the WISC-III
Standardization program involved 2,200 cases
selected to represent the US population of
children aged 6-16.
Composite scores generally have internal
consistency reliabilities in the mid-.90s and test-
retest reliabilities around .90.
Subtest reliabilities are generally in the mid-.80s.
Object Assembly and Mazes are problematic, with
reliabilities in the .60s.