Week 8 - PSY204 WAIS IV

you would consider using the GAI if a significant and unusual discrepancy exists between

VCI and WMI; or PRI and PSI; or WMI and PSI, or between subtests within WMI and/or PSI.

the 'g factor' or general intelligence is the same as

'full scale IQ' or *** 'Spearman's g'

some of the 'extra' general guidelines mentioned on Rachel's lecture include

* only giving breaks at the end of a subtest, not during * its advisable to give the entire test in one day, not broken up over several days. If this is the case then that particular client would no longer be part of the 'normative sample'.. the client would only be able to be compared to other participants who say, spread the test out over several days.

Wechsler's Concept of Intelligence

-"the capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment" -"Intelligence is a global construct (g) which can also be categorized by the sum of many specific abilities".

Carroll's Gc-Gf Theory introduced

-Crystallized intelligence (Gc) and -Fluid intelligence (Gf)

General intelligence calls for and involves other non-intellective factors as well such as

-planning, goal awareness, field dependence, persistence, enthusiasm and anxiety (Wechsler, 1950; 1975). -Unable to develop psychometrically sound scales to assess these non-intellective factors

Average testing time for the Full Scale IQ

60 - 90 minutes

of the general guidelines for administration of the WAIS-IV 'Establishing and maintaining rapport' includes

A cooperative relationship between the test-taker and the examiner is essential

of the general guidelines for administration of the WAIS-IV 'Testing individuals with special needs' includes

Administering the test in sign language; adding printed words to facilitate understanding of directions to hard-of-hearing individuals; translation into another language; eliminating time limits for adults with motor difficulties; administering only Verbal subtests to blind individuals; extending the testing over more than one session for adults with special needs. •Although modifications of the test procedure may be necessary, the WAIS-IV is not standardised with such modifications making interpretation problematic.

of the general guidelines for administration of the WAIS-IV 'Querying' includes

At times, an examinee's response may be too vague or ambiguous to score. In such cases the examinee may query the test-taker. For many items the WAIS-IV manual provides directions concerning when and how to query responses (What do you mean? Tell me more about it).

We can see overlap between the WAIS_IV test and Carroll's Three-Stratum theory of intelligence, where

Carroll's Crystallized intelligence (Gc) is similar to the WAIS_IV Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) and Carroll's Fluid intelligence (Gf) is similar to the WAIS-IV Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), and Carroll also included the Working Memory and Processing Speed into his model of human cognitive abilities

The Working Memory Index (WMI) is comprised of

Core Subtests: Digit Span - Arithmetic Supplementary Subtest: Letter-Number Sequencing (16-69yrs)

The Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) is comprised of

Core Subtests: Block Design - Matrix Reasoning - Visual Puzzles Supplementary Subtests: Figure Weights (16-69yrs) - Picture Completion

The Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) is comprised of

Core Subtests: Similarities - Vocabulary - Information and a Supplementary Subtest: Comprehension

The Processing Speed Index (PSI) is comprised of

Core Subtests: Symbol Search - Coding Supplementary Subtest: Cancellation (16-69yrs)

of the 3 subtests included in the 'Working Memory Index' (WMI) , another is 'Digit Span', This subtest is comprised of three components:

Digit Span Forward, Digit Span Backward, and Digit Span Sequencing.

all index's of the WAIS-IV collectively give us a

Full Scale IQ score, or 'g' however, each of the index's specific nature are quite different (i.e. the similarities subtest would have more in common, characteristics that are contained with vocabulary, information and comprehension, but it would be quite different to the nature of the subtests within the Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) and also the other index's)

FSIQ stands for

Full Scale Intelligence Quotinet, or just Full Scale IQ

of the general guidelines for administration of the WAIS-IV 'Starting and discontinuing subtests' includes

Many of the subtests start at items other than the first one and discontinue after a specified number of consecutive failures. This procedure allows examiners to curtail testing time for most adults and it also helps to maintain motivation levels.

A children's Intelligence Scale exists called the

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV 2003 ages 6-16)

A pre-school version of Intelligence Scale also exists called the

The Wechsler Pre-school and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition (WPPSI-III 2002 ages 2-6)

of the general guidelines for administration of the WAIS-IV 'Repeating items' includes

The general rule for repeating questions or instructions is that the examiner may do so if the test-taker requests it or if the test-taker does not seem to understand the task at hand. -Some subtests (i.e., Digit Span, Letter-Numbering Sequencing and Arithmetic*) have tighter restrictions.

of the 5 subtests included in the Perceptual Reasoning Index, the (supplementary) subtest is 'Figure Weights', this is where

The test-taker is presented a scale with missing weights. Working within a specified time limit, the test-taker is required to select a response option that keeps the scale balanced

In Digit Span Backward

The test-taker is presented with a sequence of numbers which they are required to recall in the reverse order

In Digit Span Forward

The test-taker is presented with a sequence of numbers which they are required to recall the original order of presentation

of the 5 subtests included in the Perceptual Reasoning Index, another is the 'Matrix Reasoning', this is where

The test-taker is presented with an incomplete matrix or series to solve and a set of response options. For each matrix they are required to select a response option that completes the matrix or series.

of the 5 subtests included in the Perceptual Reasoning Index, one is the 'Block Design', this is where

The test-taker is presented with pictured red-and-white geometric designs. Within a specified time limit, the test-taker is required to recreate the pictured geometric designs using red-and-white blocks. The test taker is required to have good visual-spatial skills. This is also time limited, so the test takers goes over time, then no marks are awarded.

In Letter-Number Sequencing (Supplementary):

The test-taker is read a sequence of numbers and letters and are then required to recall the numbers in ascending order and the letters in alphabetic order Example: 9 - F - 7 - K - 2 Answer: 2 - 7 - 9 - F - K

of the 5 subtests included in the Perceptual Reasoning Index, another is 'Visual Puzzles', this is where

The test-taker is shown a completed puzzle constructed from three pieces. Working within a specified time limit, the test-taker is required to "select three responses" (only 3, not two, or 4) options that, when combined, reconstructs the puzzle.

of the 5 subtests included in the Perceptual Reasoning Index, a (supplementary) subtest is 'Picture Completion', this is where

The test-taker is shown a picture of a common object or situation for which an important part is missing. Working within a specified time-limit, the test-taker is required to identify the missing part. HOWEVER, this PRI item does require more 'worldly knowledge', not just 'fluid ability'. Lol, I thought it was because the real estate agent was shaking the 'ladies' hand versus the mans hand.... but NOPE, its because the man is missing his MOUTH!!

of the general guidelines for administration of the WAIS-IV 'Physical conditions' includes

The testing room should be well lit, adequately ventilated, quiet, and free of distractions. The tabletop should be at a convenient height and a smooth working surface is essential. Test materials should be kept out of the examinee's sight until they are needed. It is recommended that the examiner sit opposite the test-taker.

The WAIS-IV Sub-tests include

Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) Working Memory Index (WMI) Processing Speed Index (PSI)

WAIS_IV Factor Indices... 'Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) involves

Verbal conceptualization, knowledge, and expression: answering oral questions that measure factual knowledge, word meanings, reasoning, and the ability to express ideas in words. Involves retrieval of verbal information from long-term memory and reasoning with verbal information. (Kaufman & Lichtenberger, 1999, p. 121) (Lichtenberger & Kaufman, 2009, p. 219)

In the history and development of the Wechsler Scales, the 2nd design was the

WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) 1955 ages 16-64

In the history and development of the Wechsler Scales, the 4th design was the

WAIS-III (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) 1997 ages 16-89

In the history and development of the Wechsler Scales, the 5th design was the

WAIS-IV (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) 2008 ages 16-90 the most frequently used test today in Western societies

In the history and development of the Wechsler Scales, the 3rd design was the

WAIS-R (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) 1981 ages 16-74

In the history and development of the Wechsler Scales, the 1st design was the

Wechsler-Bellevue I 1939 ages 7-69

of the 3 subtests included in the 'Processing Speed Index (PSI)', one is 'Coding', this is where

Within a specified time limit, the test-taker is required to refer to a coding key and copy geometric symbols that are paired with numbers.

of the 3 subtests included in the 'Working Memory Index' (WMI) , one is 'Arithmetic', this is where

Within a specified time-limit, the test-taker is required to solve a series of mental arithmetic problems without the aid of paper and pencil, and without seeing the word problem on paper (i.e. Caleb has four marbles. He finds two more. How many marbles does he have altogether?)

of the 3 subtests included in the 'Processing Speed Index (PSI)', another one is 'Symbol Search', this is where

Working within a specified time limit, the test taker is required to scan an array of geometric symbols and indicate whether one of the target symbols is present or absent in the array. The client is unaware of the time limit, they are only aware that they need to keep working until the test administrator says "stop"

of the 3 subtests included in the 'Processing Speed Index (PSI)', the supplementary one is 'Cancellation', this is where

Working within a specified time limit, the test-taker is required to scan a structured arrangement of shapes. The test-taker is then required to draw a line through the target shapes (e.g., red square and yellow triangle) only.

the 'Matrix Reasoning' is the PRI is one in which *** Spearman proposed is

a good measure of one's natural ability at problem solving. This task would most likely be tapping more into one's 'fluid intelligence'

*** Cattell (1941) and others [Carol (1993) in particular] introduced

advanced models identifying multiple factors of cognitive functioning

the VCI Subtest 'Information' requires the test-taker to

answer verbally presented questions on a broad range of general knowledge topics (i.e. "what is the biggest ocean in the world?")

the VCI Subtest 'Comprehension (Supplementary)' requires the test-taker to

answers questions that examine their understanding of general principles and social situations. (i.e. a question might be "why should we save water?" So they need to have an understanding that water is a limited natural resource) Note that this is a supplementary subtest which means that it is only administered if one of the core VCI subtests is invalidated for any reason (e.g., incorrect administration or disruption during administration).

when we as psychologists are administering the WAIS-IV subtests we need to be

aware what those factors can be that can impact on the client's performance. so we need to observe the client and always be aware of HOW they are doing the task (i.e., are they motivated, do they have planning skills, do they show 'goal awareness', do they seem to show anxiety that might be affecting their performance

Formal WAIS-IV scores are supplemented with

behavioural observations. - Need to record how the test-taker copes with frustration; reacts to items considered very easy; how anxious, fatigued, cooperative, distractible, or compulsive the test-taker appears

the 'General Ability Index (GAI)' is a

composite ability score without the influence of working memory and processing speed

the subtests of the WMI are particularly sensitive to

conditions that disrupt attention, memory and concentration. (i.e. head injury, depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disorders) all these things can adversely affect the individual score, and it is important we collect this information prior to them taking the WMI portion of the test

Wechsler believed that the WAIS subtests tap a number of different cognitive abilities but these abilities alone

do not determine intelligent behaviour.

as a clinician who may administer the WAIS-IV intelligence test, it is important

for us as clinicians to understand, as best we can, the environment in which that individual functions, what capacity is the individual currently functioning in his her environment

The WAIS-IV manual contains a detailed set of

general guidelines for test administration as well as subtest-by-subtest rules for administration and scoring

we are not expected to remember exactly how to administer the WAIS-IV, but to

get an appreciation for the great detail and complexity involved in administration

in the revisions of the WAIS-IV...'Perceptual Reasoning Index'

has been replaced with 'Perceptual Organisation Index'

in the revisions of the WAIS-IV...Removal of the Verbal IQ and Performance IQ distinction

has been replaced with 'Verbal Comprehension Index' and 'Perceptual Reasoning Index' to reflect more accurately the content of the indices

The subtests of the VCI are less sensitive to

impairments following head injury (e.g., traumatic head injury) and disruptions caused by mood disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety). So very similiar to the affects of age, this portion of the test is less disrupted by things that can happen, because this is our 'stored knowledge'

these non-intellectual factors are

integrated into the WAIS-IV scoring system

The WAIS-IV is an individually administered assessment of

intelligence and cognitive abilities suitable for adults aged 16 - 90 years

of the general guidelines for administration of the WAIS-IV 'Recording Responses' includes

it is crucial to write down verbatim responses for all items administered. These records often provide useful clinical information.

Whereas if we have an individual who is gifted or seen as extremely intelligent

it would be better to give them the WAIS-IV because this test includes more difficult itms

as a clinician who may administer the WAIS-IV intelligence test, it is also important to understand that

many factors can influence an individuals performance such as; - Acuity - Attention - Executive Functioning - Working Memory - Language Impairment - Visual-Spatial Processing - Fatigue - Poor Effort - Impulsivity

the 'Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) is really

measuring what we have learned from our experiences, popular media, exposure to 'life' education etc. and also a good measure of Crystallized intelligence (Gc)

The WAIS-IV and its predecessors are the

most frequently used tests for assessing the cognitive abilities of adults - Kaufman (1990) for example surveyed 402 clinical psychologists and reported that 97% utilized the Wechsler scales when administering an adult measure of intelligence.

in the revisions of the WAIS-IV... 'Interpretive emphasis', is no longer placed on the distinction between 'verbal IQ' and 'performance IQ' it is

now placed on the 4 Indices (i.e. VCI, PRI, WMI & PSI)

In most cases scoring WAIS-IV responses is

objective and calls for little interpretation. •There are, however, a few subtests such as Vocabulary, Similarities, and Comprehension which require some judgment.

Carroll reported the results of a systematic exploratory factor analysis

of over 460 human ability data sets -This monumental work lead to Carroll's Three-Stratum Theory of intelligence.

in the administration of the WAIS-IV, to obtain results that are comparable to the 'normative sample',

one must be careful to adhere to the same standardized administration and scoring procedures contained in the manual

in the revisions of the WAIS-IV...introduced another

overall score you can generate called; 'General Ability Index (GAI)'

the VCI Subtest 'Vocabulary' requires the test-taker to

provide the meaning (i.e., definition) of words presented either verbally or visually (i.e. "define the word ancient")

Carroll's Gc-Gf Theory shows that Gc tends to stay ______________ and Gf tends to _______________

relatively stable over age in years, decrease as one ages

the VCI Subtest 'Similarities' requires the test-taker to

state how two verbally presented words (of common objects or concepts) are alike or the same (i.e. "In what way are a guitar and a drum alike?" If the participant says "they are both musical instruments" they will get a much higher score than if a participant says "they both make noise")

the General Ability Index =

sum of scaled scores for VCI subtests and PRI subtests, which is an optional Index score

Carroll (1993) provided a much needed

systematic organization and integration of over 50 years of research on the structure of human cognitive abilities

The VCI subtests assesses skills and knowledge

that are normally acquired through education and exposure to the mainstream culture. •Subtests require the ability to reason with previously learned information. •This Index is often conceptualised as measuring 'Crystallised Intelligence' (Kaufman & Lichtenberger, 2009).

so if you work well under time pressure, you might do well at this subtest of the WAIS-IV

the 'Perceptual Reasoning Index' or (PRI)

when administering the WAIS-IV usually the focus is on

the 'core subtests' and not the supplementary subtest. The supplementary is usually only used if something goes wrong with one of the core subtests or the participant is interrupted, or the administration is done incorrectly

Try and understand in the WAIS IV the

the 'nature' (the basic or inherent features, character, or qualities of something) of the sub-tests that make this test battery, rather than the administration and scoring procedures

Carroll's Fluid intelligence (Gf) includes

the ability to draw inferences and understand the relationships of various concepts, independent of acquired knowledge. Relatively culture-free. (i.e. your innate problem solving abilities, without the influence of education or past experience)

The WAIS-IV is recommended for

the assessment of adult intelligence in clinical, educational, and research settings

The WAIS-IV GAI provides

the practitioner with a summary score that is less sensitive than the FSIQ to the influence of working memory and processing speed.

Crystallised intelligence is commonly defined as

the sum of everything an individual has learned (i.e., a fund of information, relationships and mental skills developed through education, experience and practice).

Carroll's Crystallized intelligence (Gc) includes

the sum of everything one has learned: a fund of information, relationships and mental skills developed through education, experience and practice (i.e. the problem solving ability that relies on part experience and exposure to mainstream culture, and also education)

In Digit Span Sequencing,

the test-taker is presented with a sequence of numbers which they are required to recall in ascending order (i.e., smallest to largest). Example: 5 - 1 - 5 - 7 - 2 Answer: 1 - 2 - 5 - 5 - 7

in the revisions of the WAIS-IV...by 'updating norms for IQ score inflation'

this is referring to the fact that chances are individuals have already been exposed to tests of a similar nature, and we could unintentionally be inflating their score

The reason for the overlap in age, in the various Intelligence tests is so

we can better fit the needs of the individual. So if we have a 16 year old who is struggling, it might be better to give that individual the WISC-IV 2003 ages 6-16 because we will get a better idea of their behaviour, versus giving them the WAIS, where they would likely struggle right from the beginning, and this would not give us much of an idea of their behaviour.

of the 3 WMI Subtests include

• Arithmetic • Digit Span • Letter-Number Sequencing (Supplementary)

The 'Processing Speed Index (PSI)' has 3 subtests

• Coding • Symbol Search •Cancellation (Supplementary)

The 'Perceptual Reasoning Index' PRI involves

•Application of reasoning with non-verbal, visual stimuli including the ability to "analyse and synthesise abstract visual stimuli" (Wechsler, 2008, p. 13-14). •Non-verbal reasoning and visual motor coordination: integrating visual stimuli, reasoning non-verbally, and applying visual-spatial and visual-motor skills (Kaufman & Lichtenberger, 2009). •Involves solving problems not normally taught in schools using abstract, novel stimuli. •Many subtests are timed or time-limited. (meaning more points are awarded for faster times to solve certain problems.)

Some of the skills required for successful completion of the 'Perceptual Reasoning Index' PRI are the ability to:

•Apply reasoning skills on visual, nonverbal stimuli. •Apply reasoning skills on visual quantitative information. •Apply reasoning skills on conceptually related concrete and abstract visual stimuli. •Integrate visual elements to create a model. •Visual discrimination and attention to detail.

In order to successfully complete the subtests of the WMI one needs to be able to:

•Attend to the verbal stimuli (e.g., number sequences) •Discriminate between auditory stimuli. •Store the verbal stimuli in memory. •Retrieve the verbal stimuli from memory. •Engage in mental flexibility (i.e., divide attentional resources between two or more streams of thoughts or goals). •Apply mathematic skills involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Factors that can affect PRI subtest scores: (Kaufman & Lichtenberger, 2009):

•Executive functions (your ability to plan and organise) •Visual-perceptual problems. •Working under time pressure. •Obsessive concern over detail. •Ability to respond when uncertain. •Colour blindness (e.g., matrix reasoning subtest). •Overly concrete thinking. •Flexibility in thinking. •Motivational level. •Persistence. (even if having difficulty) •Impulsivity in responding. •Negativism (e.g., refusal to select any of the response options, or arguing, or not cooperating) •Ability to self-correct.

Factors that can affect VCI subtest scores include (Kaufman & Lichtenberger, 2009):

•Exposure to written text (e.g., newspapers, books, internet). •Range of interests. •Alertness to the environment. •Exposure to the mainstream culture. •Foreign language background (i.e., English as a second language). •Intellectual curiosity and striving. •Richness of early environment. •Negativism (e.g., arguing against the items of the test). •Overly concrete thinking. •Development of conscience or moral sense. •Understanding of social norms.

In order to successfully complete the VCI subtests one needs to be able to:

•Listen and understand what is communicated (i.e., receptive language). •Retrieve verbal information (e.g., factual/general knowledge, word meanings) from long-term memory/storage. •Use verbal reasoning and concept formation skills. •Use words and sentences to communicate (i.e., expressive language).

The 'Working Memory Index' (WMI) involves

•Measures cognitive abilities involved in the registration and holding of information (i.e., STM) and the mental manipulations of information being held (i.e., working memory). •Involves auditorily presented verbal and verbal-quantitative stimuli. •Involves number ability and sequential processing. •Requires a good non-distractible attention span for success. (Lichtenberger & Kaufman, 2009, p. 225)

The 'Processing Speed Index (PSI)' involves

•Measures processing speed with nonverbal, visual stimuli (i.e., visual processing speed, motor processing speed and visual-motor processing speed). •Also requires visual perception and discrimination, attention to detail, multitasking (mental flexibility), fine motor coordination, organization skills, working memory, executive function abilities. (Lichtenberger & Kaufman, 2009, p. 229) (i.e. planning and organising abilities)

Some of the general guidelines for administration of the WAIS-IV include

•Physical conditions: •Establishing and maintaining rapport: •Testing individuals with special needs: modifications may include: •Starting and discontinuing subtests: •Recording Responses: •Querying: •Repeating items:

Revisions in the WAIS-IV include

•Updating norms for IQ score inflation. •Extension of age range up to 90 years, 11 months. •Modification of items (items reviewed for potential bias, datedness, content relevance). •Addition of new subtests to measure Perceptual Reasoning (i.e., Visual Puzzles, Figure Weights) and Processing Speed (i.e., Cancellation). •Removal of Picture Arrangement subtest.

Successful completion of the subtests of the PSI require:

•Visual-motor processing speed •Fine-motor coordination (i.e., those required in hand writing). •Visual perception and visual discrimination. •Visual scanning. •Attention to visual detail. •Mental alertness. •Mental flexibility.