Kathleen Viezel

Wechsler Administration and Scoring Errors Made by Graduate Students and School Psychologists

Individuals trained in the use of cognitive tests should be able to complete an assessment without making administrative, scoring, or recording errors. However, an examination of 295 Wechsler protocols completed by graduate students and practicing school psychologists revealed that errors are the norm, not the exception. The most common errors included failure to administer sample items, incorrect calculation of raw scores, failure to record responses verbatim, and failure to query. Significant differences were found between specific error frequencies of students and practitioners. Adequate training in administering the Wechsler scales is clearly essential. Based on the outcome of this study, it is recommended that programs training students to administer cognitive assessments provide ample feedback, and that practicing psychologists maintain best practices and take part in continuing education regarding cognitive assessments.

Exploration of Children’s Test Behavior During iPad-Administered Intelligence Testing

This study examined recent technological developments in cognitive assessment and how these developments impact children’s test behavior. The study consisted of two groups: one tested with an iPad and another tested with the standard paper and pencil format of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV). Independent groups t tests examining the empirically based syndrome and broad scales on the Test Observation Form yielded no significant results. There did not appear to be differences in test behavior between the two groups. Overall, examiners can be more confident that whether they conduct intellectual testing via traditional paper and pencil or via iPad, children’s test behaviors do not appear to be negatively influenced by test format.