Jane D. Wallbrown

The Hierarchical Factor Structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised

An hierarchial factor solution was obtained on intercorrelations among WISC-R subtests for the 11 age groups included in the standardization sample of 200 boys and girls in each of the age groups from 6.5 years to 16.5 years. An ability arrangement congruent with Vernons structural paradigm was obtained at all age levels. The ability hierarchy consisted of a relatively strong general (g) factor and two subgeneral factors corresponding to the verbal-educational (v:ed) and spatial-perceptual (k:m) parameters from Vernons paradigm. The g-factor was defined by loadings from all subtests, while the v:ed-factor was defined by all Verbal subtests and the k:m-factor was defined by Performance subtests exclusive of Coding.

The Construct Validity of the Wallach-Kogan Creativity Test for Inner-City Children

Summary The construct validity of the Wallach-Kogan (W-K) creativity test was investigated through an hierarchical factor analysis of intercorrelations among intelligence, creativity, control, and criterion variables for 73 Ss enrolled in grades 3 and 4 of an inner-city parochial school. The results provided considerable support for W-Ks theoretical formulations. Creativity and intelligence assessors defined separate domains and remained totally resilient to merger into a superordinate factor. The creativity domain, which was defined by W-K subtests and criterion ratings, included the following factors: general, visual, and verbal creativity plus a weak methods factor for crayon drawings. The intelligence domain, which was defined by WISC subtests, included a relatively strong g factor and the following four primary factors: verbal precision, freedom from distractibility, perceptual organization, and quasi-specific.

Test-Retest Reliability of the Bender-Gestalt for First-Grade Children

The reliability of the Bender was investigated for 144 first-grade children from a suburban school district. The test-retest interval ranged from 9 through 14 days. The Koppitz scoring system was used; reliability coefficients were determined for errors of distortion, rotation, integration, and perseveration as well as for the total score. The total time to reproduce the designs was also included. Magnitudes of the reliability estimates for the separate error categories were too small to justify interpreting scores individually. The reliability estimate for total working time was comparable to that for the total Koppitz score. Working time may be a stable dimension of Bender performance suitable for use in research.

The Stability of Teacher Ratings on the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale

AbstractThe stability of Devereux ratings (eleven factors, three items) was investigated for a sample comprised of 67 subjects from the primary unit of a suburban school organized with open classrooms and vertical grouping. The time interval between ratings was approximately one year. The reliabilities differed substantially for the fourteen scores. For the eleven factors, the median r was .73, but individual r’s ranged from .82 for Comprehension through.49 for Achievement Anxiety. The reliabilities for the three single items compared favorably with those for the eleven factors even though the latter were obtained by summing the scores for several items.

FURTHER EVIDENCE CONCERNING THE VALIDITY OF KAGAN'S COMMENTS ON THE CLINICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE BENDER GESTALT

The validity of Kagans hypothesis regarding the involvement of impulsivity in the reproduction of Bender-Gestalt drawings was examined for 76 first graders from a suburban school. The correlation between Koppitz errors on the Bender and impulsivity as defined by mean latency on the Matching Familiar Figures Test was –.31 (p < .01) but the value of r decreased to only –.23 when IQ was partialled out. These findings did not support Kagans hypothesis since latency for matching accounted for only 5% of the variance in Bender errors. That is, Koppitz errors on the Bender showed almost, if not complete, discriminant validity from impulsivity as defined by latency for matching figures. The r between Bender errors and total working time on the Bender itself was negligible, indicating that Koppitz errors cannot be explained in terms of impulsivity as defined by inadequate working time.

The validity of two clinical tests of visual-motor perception.

The study investigated the relative efficiency of the Bender and MPD as assessors of achievement-related errors in visual-motor perception. Clinical experience with these two tests suggests that beyond first grade the MPD is more sensitive than the Bender for purposes of measuring deficits in visual-motor perception that interfere with effective classroom learning. The sample was composed of 153 third-grade children from two upper-middle-class elementary schools in a surburban school system in central Ohio. For three of the four achievement criteria, the results were clearly congruent with the hypothesis stated above. That is, SpCD errors from the MPD not only showed significantly higher negative rs with the criteria (reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematics computation) than Koppitz errors from the Bender, but also accounted for a much higher proportion of the variance in these criteria. Thus, the findings suggest that psychologists engaged in the assessment of older children seriously should consider adding the MPD to their assessment battery.

The Hierarchical Factor Structure of the WISC and Revised ITPA for Reading Disabled Children.

Summary An hierarchical factor solution was obtained on correlations among WISC and ITPA subtests for 110 reading disabled children. The ability hierarchy which included a general (g) factor, two subgeneral factors, and five primary factors was arranged in a manner congruent with Vernons structural paradigm. The g-factor was defined by a moderate but distinct pattern of positive loadings from WISC and ITPA subtests. At the subgeneral level a verbal-educational factor was defined by verbal WISC and ITPA subtests, and a spatial-perceptual-mechanical factor was defined by WISC performance and ITPA visual subtests. Three primary factors—freedom from distractibility, verbal precision, and quasi-specific—were defined by WISC subtests. Two primary factors—automatic processes and representational processes—were defined by ITPA subtests.

DIMENSIONS OF CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR FOR KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN

The construct validity of the Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale (Spivack & Swift, 1967) was investigated for a sample of 408 children enrolled in the 15 kindergarten classes of a suburban school system. The 9 teachers completed behavioral ratings for the children in their classes during 1 wk. in May, 1974. A principal-factor solution was obtained on intercorrelations among the 47 behaviors included in the Devereux scale and the factors thus obtained were rotated to Varimax criterion. The results were generally positive in that 9 of the 11 behavioral dimensions described by Spivack and Swift (1967) were evident in the factor structure. Yet, there were enough differences to suggest the possibility of modifying the Devereux score categories somewhat for use with suburban kindergarten children. For example, the three individual items did not remain distinct and two dimensions did not emerge as factors. Also, the items loading the 9 factors were not always exactly the same as those which the authors specified for the corresponding behavioral dimensions.