WISC-R Full Scale IQ Research Articles

Learning disabilities in adolescents with high IQ scores.

Between January 1, 1971 and December 31, 1980, 43 of 415 adolescents diagnosed as "learning disabled" when evaluated in an intensive 4-day diagnostic program were found to have a WISC-R verbal, performance, or full scale IQ score of 120 or higher. The 34 boys and 9 girls were 14.5 +/- 2 years old, were in grade 9.5 +/- 1, and had had overt symptoms of academic difficulty for 4 +/- 1.5 years at the time of diagnosis. None of the adolescents was achieving at an academic level consistent with the potential indicated by the WISC-R score. All of the adolescents were able to dissemble and disguise their disabilities. Only nine had previously been recognized as being disabled. All exhibited academic failure (which became apparent or increasingly severe on entering junior high school) and suffered from lack of self-esteem, depression, and withdrawal. Older adolescents had "given up" on school and were attempting to find alternative careers. Learning disabilities constitute an invisible handicap which affects 2 to 3% of all adolescents. Those who have very high intelligence may be able to hide the handicap until academic challenges become sufficiently difficult or complex to unmask them.

Effectiveness of WISC-R Short-Forms in Screening Gifted Children

The purpose of the present study was to determine which of 11 short-form combinations of only two subtests each was the most effective predictor of high WISC-R Full Scale IQ. WISC-R protocols of 92 children, aged 6–0 to 11–7, with Full Scale IQs ⩾ 130 ( M = 135.9) were reviewed. Using the subtest scores from these protocols, short-form combinations of Similarities-Vocabulary and Similarities-Object Assembly were the best predictors of Full Scale IQ ⩾ 130, perhaps useful for screening gifted children.

Recategorized WISC-R Scores for Non-Handicapped, Learning Disabled, Educationally Disadvantaged and Regular Classroom Navajo Children

WISC-R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ's and Bannatyne recategorized scores were compared for groups of non-handicapped, educationally disadvantaged, learning disabled, and regular classroom...

Morning versus Afternoon Testing and Children's Intelligence Test Performance

WISC-R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs for 34 matched pairs of subjects were compared to evaluate differences in performance between morning and afternoon testing. No significant differences occurred in mean IQs as a function of time of day of testing. Greater variability in performance on the Verbal and Full Scale measures occurred for morning testing.

Central placement of Bender figure a by clinic-referred and non-referred children.

To test the validity of clinical reports suggesting the diagnostic significance of central placement of the first Bender-Gestalt design, the protocols of 58 clinic-referred children (ages 6 to 12 yr.) and 58 non-referred children matched for age and WISC-R Full Scale IQ were examined. As predicted, central placement occurred with greater frequency in the clinic group, but its clinical utility is unclear.

Prediction of the WISC-R full scale IQ from the SFTAA.

Investigated the validity of the Short Form Test of Academic Aptitude as a predictor of WISC-R Full Scale IQ. A multiple regression equation was computed for 126 Ss, who had been administered both tests using the WISC-R Full Scale IQ as the criterion variable and the Language and Nonlanguage scores of the SFTAA as predictor variables. The multiple correlation was .73, which indicated satisfactory validity. The regression coefficients are presented.

Note on Concurrent Validity of Structure of Intellect Gifted Screener with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised

A primary problem in identification of gifted children is the time required for indiv~dual intelligence testing to establish eligibility. An effective screening instrument could eliminate such expensive testing time. The Structure of Intellect Gifted Screener (2, 3) might fill this need if scores on subtests or the full battery correlate highly with the primary placement tool, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (5). The.Screener has 12 subtests from the Structure of Intellect Learning Abilities Test. The test can be administered to groups of children, although the authors note that some portions of the rest may require individual administration for non-readers. Administration time ranges from about 40 min. at the beginning level to about 50 min. for advanced level students. No special training is required for administration. No information is given in the manual concerning the reliability or validity of the instrument, although consmct validity is indirectly addressed through reference to the fact that the test is based on Guilford's Structure of Intellect Factors (1). The present study was done to obtain evidence regarding the concurrent validity of the Gifted Screener in relation to the WISC-R battery. The Gifted Screener was administered in grade-lwel group sessions to 339 pupils, Grades 1 through G in the fall of 1978. The subjects were 163 boys and 176 girls. Following administration, each student was individually given the WISC-R full battery by a qualified psychological examiner. Stepwise multiple regression analysis (4) provided results of parrial or simple regression of each subtest for the Gifted Screener against each subtest of the WISC-R and against the WISC-R composite indicator. When all Gifted Screener scores were employed as predictor variables, all coefficients were significant. The multiple correlation of ,337 (P < .05) between the WISC-R Full Scale IQ and the weighted combination of all Gifted Screener subtests explained only about 11% of the total variance. About 89% of the variance in the WISC-R scores was lefr unexplained by the Gifted Screener. No predictor variable contributed to a significant multiple correlation coefficient when the Full Scale IQ or any combination of WISC-R subtests were used as the criterion variable. Identification of gifted students could be handled better were there a screening instrument which has a high correlation wirh the full WISC-R. The present study produced correlations between the Gifted Screener and the WISC-R too small to consider this test satisfactory. As the intent in development was not screening gifted children, one would nor expect to find a strong relationship between the two tests. Both the screener and the learning sub-scale idenrify areas of strength and weakness in children's intellectual performance and may add to total assessment of gifted children. However, where the WISC-R is ordinarily used as the final identification and placement instrument, use of the Gifted Screener appears inappropriate.

Correlations among scores on WISC-R and Woodcock-Johnson Achievement Tests for learning disabled children.

Pearson correlations between standard scores on the WISC-R and Woodcock-Johnson tests for 77 learning disabled subjects ( M age = 9.5 yr.) showed Reading, Mathematics, and Written Language scores were positively and significantly related to the Verbal subtest scaled scores and Verbal IQs. Scores on Reading and Mathematics were similarly related to the WISC-R Full Scale IQs. The practical significance of these findings is discussed.

Inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of the Goodenough-Harris and McCarthy Draw-A-Child scoring systems.

Inter-rater reliability of the Goodenough-Harris and McCarthy Draw-A-Child scoring system was examined for a sample of 60 children, including 20 school-labeled learning disabled, 20 mentally retarded, and 20 normal children between the ages of 6 and 8 1/2 yr. (M = 7-8; 44 males and 16 females; 36 whites and 24 blacks). The inter-rater reliabilities of the Goodenough-Harris system were .938 and .934 for the McCarthy Draw-A-Child. The scores from both drawing tests correlated significantly, .57 to .87, with the WISC-R Full Scale IQ and McCarthy General Cognitive Index. Implications are discussed as they relate to the use of the Goodenough-Harris and McCarthy Draw-A-Child systems.

Relationship between intellectual status and reading skills for developmentally disabled children.

The relationship between WISC-R Full Scale IQ and scores on the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests were explored for 80 developmentally disabled children. While the children's reading skills correlated moderately and significantly with intellectual status, abstract reading skills, e.g., word comprehension, correlated more highly with Full Scale IQ than did concrete ones, e.g., word identification. The development of concrete learning patterns by such children was discussed, with an emphasis on the emotional importance of these learning styles to the children and their families.

Correlations between Scores on the B Factor and the Wisc-R for Gifted Students

The correlations between the sten B Factor scores of the Children's and the High School Personality Questionnaires and the WISC-R Full Scale IQs for 121 gifted (IQ &gt; 120) students in Grades 4 to 7 were low. Caution should be utilized in interpreting the B Factor as a valid measure of intellectual functioning of gifted youth.

Comparison of McCarthy General Cognitive Index and WISC-R IQ for educable mentally retarded, learning disabled, and normal children.

The relationship between the McCarthy General Cognitive Index and the WISC-R Full Scale IQ was examined for 20 educable mentally retarded, 20 learning disabled, and 20 normal children aged 6 to 8½ yr. Selection of children was conducted so that the three groups would be comparable with res pea to age, sex, and race. The mean McCarthy Indexes for the retarded and learning disabled samples were significantly lower than the mean WISC-R Full Scale IQs. When the Index and Full Scale IQ were converted to a common metric and compared, the mean index for the retarded and learning disabled samples remained lower than the Full Scale IQs, although the differences were nonsignificant. The measures correlated significantly for all three samples and ranged from .51 to .82.

Screening for giftedness with the Slosson and the scale for rating behavioral characteristics of superior students

Children who had been nominated as potential candidates for gifted programs were assessed to determine the relationships among certain behavioral and intellectual characteristics. Records were compiled listing 132 first- through eighth-grade children's race, sex, age, grade level, Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) IQ scores, Scale for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students (SRBCSS) scores, and WISC-R IQs. Only children achieving SIT IQs of 130 or higher were included. A regression equation for the prediction of a WISC-R Full Scale IQ score from a given SIT score was computed and compared to that developed for predicting the WISC-R IQ in another study. All variables except SIT IQ were poor predictors of WISC-R IQ scores. A moderate correlation was computed between SIT and WISC-R Verbal and Full Scale IQ scores. A somewhat lower, but still significant, degree of relationship was found between SIT and WISC-R Performance IQ scores. Some difficulties with using the SIT as a screen for gifted programs are discussed.

A comparison of three screening tests and the WISC-R in special education evaluations

Eighty public school children referred for psychological assessment for potential special education placement were given the Slosson Intelligence Test, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised. Correlational and regression techniques were used to determine the effectiveness of the three former measures in predicting WISC-R IQ scores. SIT IQs were found to be the best predictors of WISC-R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs; however, these statistical relationships reveal little about the clinical utility of the screening measures. Problems with use of the current findings and those of other studies are discussed.

McCarthy and WISC-R correlations with WRAT achievement scores.

The relationships between the McCarthy General Cognitive Index and WISC-R Full Scale IQ with the Wide Range Achievement Test Reading scores were explored with a sample of 20 educable mentally retarded (M age = 7.10) and 20 learning disabled (M age = 8.1) children. Wide Range Achievement Test scores did not correlate significantly with the WISC-R and McCarthy scores for the retarded sample, while substantial correlations were found for the learning disabled group. Analysis indicated that the McCarthy and WISC-R were positively and equally related to the Wide Range Achievement Test Reading section. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Comparison of WISC-R and Culture Fair Intelligence Test scores for three ethnic groups of juvenile delinquents.

Culture Fair and WISC-R scores were obtained from 116 juvenile delinquents in three ethnic groups. There were significant differences among the three ethnic groups (41 whites, 46 blacks, 30 Mexican-Americans) for the WISC-R Full Scale, Verbal, Performance, and Culture Fair IQ scores. Pearson correlations between WISC-R scores and the Culture Fair scores for the combined groups were generally significant ranging from .58 to .64. The Culture Fair provides a rapid screening device for intellectual ability which more nearly equates the IQs of the three ethnic groups. For a complete assessment of intellectual capacity with ethnic minorities both the Culture Fair and WISC-R should be used.

A comparison of the Slosson intelligence test and the WISC-R with elementary school children

The WISC-R and the Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) were given to 69 randomly selected children in grades one through six in an urban school system. A regression equation for predicting WISC-R full scale IQ from SIT was developed. Previous studies had reported that SIT IQs tended to be consistently higher than WISC-R IQs. The present study revealed that SIT IQs were considerably higher than WISC-R IQs in the upper range and slightly lower in the lower range. A possible reason for the discrepancy is that the present study used a normal population and previous studies used restricted ranges. It was concluded that the SIT provides a good estimate of WISC-R full scale IQs when a regression equation is used. It was recommended, however, that educational placement decisions should not be made on the basis of any single IQ measure.

Determining basals for the peabody individual achievement test

The appropriateness of the starting points for PIAT subtests as suggested by the test authors was investigated. For a sample of 113 subjects with an average WISC-R Full Scale IQ of 98, there was an average difference of nearly 8 points between the suggested starting points for the Mathematics subtest and the actual basals. The difference between suggested starting points and basals for the other subtests ranged from 8 to 12 points. It was suggested that the PIAT user start each subtest approximately 8 items below that suggested by the Manual.

A comparison of an ITPA estimated psycholinguistic quotient and WISC-R IQs for developmentally disabled children

Compared an estimated Psycholinguistic Quotient, based on Cronkhite and Penner's (1975) revised scoring procedure for the ITPA Psycholinguistic Age, to the WISC-R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs of developmentally disabled children. The Quotient entered into strong relationships with the WISC-R Verbal and Full Scale IQs. The diagnostic significance of these correlations was discussed. The data indicated that the estimated Psycholinguistic Quotient was a valid measure for screening intellectual status in this population.

Relations of Scores on WPPSI and WISC-R at a One-Year Interval

This study was designed to provide information regarding the relationship between the WPPSI and the WISC-R, over a 1-yr. interval, for a sample of middle-class children of above average intelligence. There were 47 males and 43 females who were an average of 5.6 yr. at the time of first testing and 6.5 yr. at the time of second testing. The data, analyzed by a linear regression analysis, showed that the WISC-R Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs could be predicted with a reasonable degree of accuracy, i.e., standard errors of estimate: Verbal IQ = 8.86, Performance IQ = 8.15, Full Scale IQ = 7.14. The results were discussed in terms of the degree of similarity between cognitive skills measured by the two tests and the clinical utility of such information.