The Relationship Between Performance on the Mazes Subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC-R) and Speed of Solving Anagrams With Simple and Difficult Arrangements of Letter Order

Abstract

From a total sample of 100 seventh grade students who had been given nine maze tests, two subgroups of the 30 highest-scoring and the 30 lowest-scoring subjects (the HSM and LSM groups) were formed. Within each of these two group 15 members were randomly assigned to an experimental condition involving exposure to a list of 10 5-letter anagrams with a simple letter order (SLO) arrangement, and the other 15 members to an experimental condition necessitating exposure to a list of 10 5-letter anagrams with a difficult letter order (DLO) arrangement. Each anagram required a single solution. In the resulting 2 x 2 factorial design the two-way analysis of vari ance revealed statistically significant differences in mean amount of time required to solve the anagrams relative to placement in the HSM or LSM group ( p < .001) and with respect to exposure to the SLO or DLO anagram task ( p < .001). No statistically reliable interaction effect was noted. About 18% of the variance in time scores for solution of anagrams was associated with the complexity level of the anagram task; approximately 20%, with placement in the HSM or LSM group. Within the subsample exposed to the SLO anagram task the concurrent validity (point biserial) coefficient between time scores and the criterion variable of placement in the HSM or LSM group was -.489 ( p < .01); within the subsample given the DLO anagram task, the corresponding coefficient was -.633 ( p < .01). It was concluded that a relationship existed between success in maze performance and proficiency in solving anagrams. It appeared that a common psychological construct of flexibility might account for this association.