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 assesses general
comprehension 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
The blackboard of into STM, store it
the mind there, retrieve it
(Goldman-Rakic, when needed
1992) Manipulate
information (e.g.,
addition)
Thinking, learning,
planning
 Index scores
Perceptual Use visual, spatial,
organization and visually-guided
motor skills
Organize thoughts
Assesses comfort
with new,
unfamiliar
situations
 Index score
Processing speed focus, scanning speed,
The speed at which sequentially ordering
cognitive processes visual information
can be carried out 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
word at a time, measure of g
asked to define it Correlation of
Sensitive to word vocabulary score
knowledge, linguistic with g is .83
development,
acquired knowledge,
verbal expression
ability, crystallized
intelligence
 Vocabulary
Very stable Of all WAIS
Resistant to effects subtests, the one
of poor most resistant to
concentration in brain damage
schizophrenia Thus, allows a
Not affected by good estimate of
mild concentration pre-morbid
trouble functioning
 Similarities
Task is to say how Earlier items in
two (superficially) series are known
dissimilar items through experience
might be similar (e.g., In what way
are a cake and a
Evaluating details pudding alike?)
which details are Later items require
diagnostic? abstract thinking
(e.g., How are
affection and
approval alike?
 Similarities
Logical, abstract With Information
thinking subtest, the second
Concept formation best for measuring
Crystallized and g
fluid intelligence Correlation with g
=.79
 Similarities
Of VCI (Verbal Score on this
Comprehension subtest is impacted
Index) subtests, by
the one least psychopathology,
affected by formal and by brain
education or damage esp. left
learning hemisphere lesions
 Arithmetic
Assesses working Correlation with g
memory, numerical is r = .75
reasoning,
computation skill,
concentration,
retrieval from LTM
Influenced by
emotional state
 Digit Span
Repeat a series of Attention, auditory
up to 7 digits in memory and
correct order sequencing, short
Digits presented 1 term memory,
per second mental alertness,
Tested both sequential
processing,
Forward (DSF) and
cognitive flexibility
Backward (DSB)
 Digit Span
Average 6.4 digits Correlation with g:
forward, 4.7 r=.57 (the worst)
backwards
DSF DSB 5
suggests brain
damage
 Information
Acquired knowledge, Correlation with g: r
crystallized = .79 (2nd best)
intelligence, fund of Failure on easy items
information, range of followed by success on
general factual harder items suggests
knowledge, long term retrieval difficulties
memory Resistant to
Affected by formal psychopathology and
education brain damage good
opportunities estimate of pre-morbid
functioning
 Comprehension
3 different kinds of Assesses social and
questions: moral reasoning,
Appropriate judgment, verbal
responses to concepts,
hypothetical knowledge of
situations
ordinary standards
Logical
of behavior,
explanations for
everyday actions
practical
Proverb
information
interpretations
 Comprehension
Rewards g: correlation r = .
conventional 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
intermixed, randomly- focusing ability
sequenced numbers
Dropping a letter:
and letters
attention problem
Taps STM, sequential
reasoning ability,
Mixing up letters:
planning sequencing problem
 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 Alertness, attention
detail is missing to detail
from a picture. LTM (Visual)
Timed response Crystallized
Pointing response intelligence
is allowed R Hem skill
Raises issue of g: correlation r = .
pointing precision 64
(trained examiner
required)
Digit Symbol Coding

X
2

9 1 6
3
 Digit Symbol Coding
Visual STM g: correlation r = .
Psychomotor speed 59
Visual-motor Very sensitive to
coordination any kind of brain
Visual sequencing damage
Accuracy & speed
 Block Design
Assesses visual- g: correlation = .72
motor coordination, Affected by R Hem
visual analysis & damage
synthesis, spatial
Bizarre solutions
visualization
may indicate
Visual input, motor
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 = .
thinking, nonverbal 72
reasoning, analogy
skill
Fluid intelligence
Visual organization
 Picture Arrangement
Task is to put a Non-verbal
series of (randomly- reasoning
ordered) pictures Possibly social skill
into narrative order
Fluid & crystallized
(so they tell a
intelligence
coherent story)
Planning
As if you found a
comic strip jumbled Time concepts
up and had to order
the frames sensibly
 Picture Arrangement
Failure may be due g: correlation r = .
to visual problems 66
(compare with
Picture Completion)
 Symbol Search
Optional not 120 seconds
needed to compute allowed
IQ How many can
Subject shown two subject do in that
target abstract time?
symbols and asked
whether either
target appears in a
set of probe
symbols
 Symbol Search
Visual-motor g: correlation r = .
coordination and 70
speed, planning,
STM, perceptual
speed
Large practice
effects in young
adults
 Object Assembly
Subject given Taps knowledge of
pieces of a puzzle part-whole
Task is to assemble relationships,
pieces into a whole visual-motor
coordination,
anticipation of
relationships
among parts
Fluid intelligence
 Object Assembly
Sensitive to g: correlation r = .
cerebral damage, 62
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 About .90 for
consistency and performance and
test-retest these index scores:
reliabilities .95 or perceptual
higher for full scale organization,
and verbal scores.
working memory,
and processing
speed.
 Reliability of the WAIS
Internal Generally,
consistency performance
reliability for the reliabilities are
subtests range lower than verbal
from upper .70s to reliabilities on the
low .90s. Test-
retest is about .83. subtests.
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.