Research with the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Adults: 1965–1970

Note on Wais Verbal-Performance Differences in IQ

The discrepancies in WAIS Verbal and Performance IQs for a sample of 239 subjects with epilepsy were assessed. Both males and females had significantly higher mean Verbal IQs, but the magnitudes of discrepancy scores were only about half the amount noted by Pickering, et al. Individuals differed widely. It may be more fruitful to investigate the relationship between individual-difference variables and the inequality of Verbal IQ and Performance IQ than to apply the correction, proposed by Pickering, et al., of 5 points to equate the IQs.

IQ patterns in affective disorder, lateralized and diffuse brain damage

Meta-analysis of 38 studies compared Wechsler IQ scores in affective disorder (A), lateralized right (RH), left (LH) and bilateral/diffuse (BI) brain damage. A, RH, and BI had lower PIQ than VIQ. In A and BI groups the PIQ/VIQ ratio was identical, whereas each differed significantly from the RH group which revealed a much lower PIQ/VIQ ratio. Similarity of neuropsychological profiles of A and RH patients is often interpreted as indicating predominant right-hemisphere involvement in affective disorder. The present findings suggest an alternative interpretation is possible: i.e., the presence of bilateral/diffuse CNS involvement in affective disorder. We do not believe that our findings strongly support one interpretation over the other. In future research, both possibilities should be considered.

Female delinquent recidivism and the P greater than V sign on the WISC-R

Examined the Performance-Verbal (P-V) discrepancy on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised as a predictor for recidivism among 78 adjudicated white female delinquents. The P greater than V sign was displayed significantly more frequently among recidivists than among nonrecidivists. No significant relationship was found between amount of P-V difference and number of offenses for which an individual may be adjudicated. The findings support the view that cognitive differences differentiate recidivists from nonrecidivists.

The utility of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale profile analysis with prisoners

Determined the efficacy of profile analysis with a prison population (63 white, 63 black) of the Petersburg Federal Correctional Institution as Ss. By use of Veldman's Hierarchical Profile Analysis, five distinctive WAIS profile types were derived empirically for each racial group. Analyses of covariance that controlled for full-scale IQ differences revealed significant differences among the profile types within each race in terms of Stanford Achievement Test scores and MMPI T-scores. Further, partial correlations indepepdent of full-scale IQ revealed significant relationships between some of the profile types and the commission of rule infractions while incarcerated. These findings are interpreted as supportive of profile analysis with inmate populations. However, it is suggested that further research be effected to cross-validate these findings.

Personality characteristics of volunteers for medical research

Thirty-seven inmates who had previously volunteered for phase I drug testing and 33 who had not were interviewed by a psychologist to obtain demographic and motivational data. Each inmate completed a standard psychopathology inventory (the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), the Similarities and Picture Arrangement subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, a test of normal personality variables (the Edwards Personality Scale), and Christie's Machiavellianism Scale. The data supported the conclusions that (1) inmates are in general free enough from psychopathology to be able to make rational choices about participating in medical research as long as preliminary screening for individuals with severely disordered thinking is carried out, (2) verbal communication skills of inmates appear to be well enough developed to allow them to give an informed consent, (3) while there are personality differences between volunteers and nonvolunteers, these appear to relate most directly to the fact that, without screening, impulsive, manipulative individuals with disordered thought processes are over-represented among volunteers for medical research.

Comparison of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale indices of cerebral disfunction

This study assessed and compared the diagnostic accuracies of eight cerebral dysfunction indices based upon the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). Patients with extreme values of the Halstead Impairment Index were used to compose Impaired and Not Impaired groups. The Impaired group did significantly worse than the Not Impaired group on all 11 WAIS subtests, and there was little overlap between the groups in Full Scale IQ. The WAIS cerebral dysfunction indices ignore such differences in over-all level of performance and instead use the eight indices predicted impairement status at levels which exceed chance, but the total correct classification rates were quite modest. Statistical correction for group age differences reduced classification rates even more. Deviation score analyses were employed to assess relative strengths and deficits on the WAIS subtests, controlled for over-all level of performance. Compared to the Not-impaired group, Impaired subjects did relatively poorly on Block Design and Object Assemby, and relatively well on Information, Comprehension, Vocabular, and Picture Completion. Significant education effects and education by impairment status interactions also occurred for several subtests. It was concluded that the WAIS indices have limited value in screening for cerebral dysfunction, and reasons for this were discussed.

The WISC as a measure of personality types

This present analysis attempted to provide evidence for the utility of the WISCto identify a specific group of individuals. Incarcerated juvenile offenders in the 70/79 IQ range were separated according to race and sex and their differential WISC patterns studied. Results focused on the efficiency of each of Wechsler's hypotheses for the adolescent sociopath. Post-hoc analysis provided tentative additional signs by which to identify juvenile offenders in the 70/79 IQ range. Consistencies between results of the present analysis and previous studies were noted. The clear pattern that emerged strongly supports the potential of the WISC as a measure of personality types.

The WISC as a diagnostic tool

Wechsler's hypotheses for the adolescent sociopath were applied to the WISC under controlled conditions. Groups were separated according to race and sex, while IQ, socioeconomic class, and geographic location were held constant. The criterion for selection of Ss was appearance before a juvenile court. The efficiency of each of Wechsler's signs was determined. Post hoc analysis provided specific signs for each combination of race and sex in the 80-89 IQ range. The need for cross-validation of these signs was stressed. Other methodological issues that may contribute to inconclusive findings with traditional assessment procedures were discussed throughout the study. These included: (1) the need for control of the relevant variables; (2) the problem of poorly defined criteria; (3) the need for analysis of the individual as well as the group data; (4) the importance of a holistic approach; (5) the problem with matching; and (6) the problem of not having an expected distribution with which to compare the frequency of "hits" for Wechsler's indices.

Verbal and performance IQ for discrimination among psychiatric diagnostic groups

WAIS Verbal and Performance IQ scores were obtained from medical records of 500 psychiatric inpatients recently admitted to a large university hospital. With a subsample of the original 500 patients for whom there was diagnostic agreement between two independent clinicians, a multivariate analysis of variance was carried out to determine the extent to which the Verbal and Performance scores discriminated among eight diagnostic categories into which patients were classified. In the multivariate ANOVA, statistical techniques were employed to control for concomitant background variation that otherwise might have been confounded with true diagnostic group differences in Verbal and Performance IQ. Although mentally retarded and organic brain syndrome patients could be distinguished significantly from other diagnostic groups on the basis of their lower total IQ scores, the data did not support the persistent clinical belief that functional psychiatric disorders differed in the WAIS measurement space.

Possible differential WISC patterns for retarded delinquents

Under controlled conditions, an attempt was made to assess the generalizability of Wechsler's WAIS hypotheses for the non-defective adolescent sociopath to 80 retarded juvenile offenders. Groups were separated according to race and sex while IQ, socio-economic status, and geographic location were controlled. The criteria for selection of subjects were incarceration in a state juvenile correctional facility and a Full Scale WISC IQ below 70. Results suggested that many of Wechsler's WAIS signs applicable to non-defective IQ ranges probably are not appropriate for WISC scores of these retarded delinquents. The difficulty in identifying the signs from such a truncated range of scaled scores was discussed. Post hoc analysis, nevertheless, provided some potentially useful WISC signs for combinations of race and sex of retarded delinquents. The need for cross-validation of these signs was stressed.