Laura A. Glass

Stability of the WISC-IV in a Sample of Elementary and Middle School Children

This study investigated test-retest stability of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition, in 43 elementary/middle school students tested on two occasions approximately 11 months apart. Subtest stability coefficients ranged from .26 (Picture Concepts) to .84 (Vocabulary [VC]). Composite stabilities ranged from .54 (Processing Speed Index) to .88 (Full Scale Intelligence Quotient [FSIQ]). On 11 subtests and three indexes, the standardization sample stability coefficients were significantly larger than those of the present sample, with only the VC subtest and FSIQ having high levels of test-retest stability. Mean practice effects were not significant, but range of gain or loss for some individuals was large. On the FSIQ, 42% changed >±5 points on retest. The FSIQ is less stable than one might infer from the large stability coefficient and small mean practice effect.

Discrepancy Score Reliabilities in the WAIS-IV Standardization Sample.

In the present investigation, the authors provide internal consistency reliabilities for Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) subtest and Index discrepancy scores using the standardization sample as the data source. Reliabilities ranged from .55 to .88 for subtest discrepancy scores and .80 to .91for Index discrepancy scores. Thus, the reliabilities of the WAIS-IV subtest discrepancy scores did not reach the ≥ .90 criterion recommended for clinical decision-making, whereas four Index score coefficients reached this reliability standard. If the purpose is to generate hypotheses based on discrepancy scores, 23 of the 66 subtests and all of the Index reliabilities are ≥ .80.

Internal Consistency Reliability of the Wisc–IV among Primary School Students

Internal consistency reliabilities of the WISC–IV subtest and index scores were estimated for a sample of 76 primary school students from a small Midwestern community. Means for age and Full Scale IQ were 8.2 yr. (SD = 2.3) and 110.5 (SD = 11.7), respectively. Internal consistency reliabilities were compared with those for the WISC–IV standardization sample of 200. The range of reliabilities for the subtests was from .76 for Picture Concepts to .94 for Arithmetic and from .92 for Perceptual Reasoning Index to .96 for Verbal Comprehension Index and Full Scale IQ. The Full Scale IQ internal consistency reliability is comparable to that of the standardization sample. However, in all but one instance the reliabilities were greater than those of the normative sample.

Administration Order Effects on the Test of Memory Malingering

Using a sample of 72 university students, we determined whether administering the Boston Naming Test (BNT) before the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) affects scores on the latter test and whether administration of a visual test during the interval between TOMM Trial 2 and the TOMM Retention Trial (TOMM-R) influences results on TOMM-R. Four orders of administration were used. A series of nonparametric tests indicated that when the BNT was given before the TOMM, a lower median TOMM Trial 1 (TOMM-1) score emerged. However, of the 36 participants who completed the BNT prior to administration of the TOMM, only one achieved a score < 45 on TOMM-1. There were no other significant findings. Overall, the results suggest that order of test administration is probably not a determinant of TOMM scores.

Perceptions of psychology as a science among university students: the influence of psychology courses and major of study.

The goal was to examine the relationship between the number of psychology courses students have taken and their perceptions of psychology as a science. Additionally, differences in perceptions of psychology among psychology, education, and natural science majors were examined. Results indicated that students who had taken four or more psychology courses had more favorable perceptions of psychology as a science compared to those who had taken no courses or one course and those who had taken two to three courses. No significant differences in overall perceptions of psychology emerged among students in the three majors.

Predicting Neuropsychological Test Performance on the Basis of Temporal Orientation

ABSTRACT Temporal orientation is often disrupted in the context of psychiatric or neurological disease; tests assessing this function are included in most mental status examinations. The present study examined the relationship between scores on the Temporal Orientation Scale (TOS) and performance on a battery of tests that assess memory, language, and cognitive functioning in a sample of patients with Alzheimers disease (N = 55). Pearson-product moment correlations showed that, in all but two instances, the TOS was significantly correlated with each neuropsychological measure, p values ≤ .05. Also, severely disoriented (i.e., TOS score ≤ −8) patients were consistently ‘impaired’ on memory tests but not on tests of language and general cognitive functioning.

Estimating WISC-IV Indexes : Proration versus linear Scaling

This investigation compared proration and linear scaling for estimating Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) verbal comprehension (VCI) and perceptual reasoning (PRI) composites from all relevant two subtest combinations. Using 57 primary school students and 41 clinical referrals, actual VCI and PRI scores were highly correlated with estimated index scores based on proration and linear scaling (all rs> or =.90). In the school sample, significant mean score differences between the actual and estimated composites were found in two comparisons; however, differences between mean scores were less than three points. No significant differences emerged in the clinical sample. Results indicate that any of the two subtest combinations produced reasonably accurate estimates of actual indexes. There was no advantage of one computational method over the other.

WAIS-III FSIQ and GAI in Ability-Memory Discrepancy Analysis

The present investigation compares WAIS-III FSIQ-WMS-III with GAI-WMS-III discrepancies in 135 male inpatients with suspected memory impairment. Full Scale IQ and GAI scores were highly correlated, r = .96, with mean values of 92.10 and 93.59, respectively. Additional analyses with the ability composites compared to each WMS-III index (IMI, GMI, and DMI), the GAI consistently produced larger difference scores than did the FSIQ; however, effect sizes were relatively small (ES = .12). Lastly, case-by-case analyses demonstrated concordance rates of 86% for the FSIQ-IMI and GAI-IMI comparisons, 85% for the FSIQ-GMI and GAI-GMI, and 82% for the FSIQ-DMI and GAI-DMI.

Administration Frequencies of WAIS-III Supplementary and Optional Subtests of Board-Certified Clinical Neuropsychologists

The present investigation surveyed board-certified clinical neuropsychologists in four geographic regions of the United States regarding their administration practices of the WAIS-III supplementary subtests (Letter-Number Sequencing, Symbol Search), optional subtest (Object Assembly), and optional procedures (Digit Symbol-Incidental Learning and Digit Symbol-Copy). Approximately 56% of the surveys were returned and usable. Regardless of geographic region, Letter-Number Sequencing and Symbol Search were the most popular of the supplementary/optional components because they were administered more than 70% of the time. The Digit Symbol-Incidental Learning and Digit Symbol-Copy procedures were the second most frequently administered tasks. Object Assembly was the least frequently administered component by practitioners across the four geographic regions.

SUBSTITUTION OF SUPPLEMENTARY SUBTESTS FOR CORE SUBTESTS ON COMPOSITE RELIABILITY OF WAIS-IV INDEXES

The effects of replacing core subtests with supplementary subtests on composite-score reliabilities were evaluated for the WAIS–IV Indexes. Composite score reliabilities and SEMs (i.e., confidence intervals around obtained scores) are provided for the 13 unique Index scores calculated following the subtest substitution guidelines of Wechsler in 2008. In all instances, unique Index composite-score reliabilities were comparable to their respective core Index score composite reliabilities, and measurement error never increased by more than 1 point. Using the standard Verbal Comprehension Index and Perceptual Reasoning Index and the unique subtest combinations for the Working Memory and Processing Speed indexes, which have the lowest composite-score reliabilities, decreased Full Scale composite reliability by .01, while the associated confidence interval of ± 6 represents an increase in measurement error of 1 IQ point.