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Inter‐subtest scatter in the WAIS‐R standardization sample
Author(s) -
Matarazzo Joseph D.,
Daniel Mark H.,
Prifitera Aurelio,
Herman David O.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(198811)44:6<940::aid-jclp2270440615>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - wechsler adult intelligence scale , psychology , normative , neuropsychology , intelligence quotient , population , wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence , scale (ratio) , wechsler intelligence scale for children , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , cognition , demography , cartography , psychiatry , geography , philosophy , epistemology , sociology
To be able to evaluate the possible diagnostic significance of the magnitude of subtest‐to‐subtest scatter on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS‐R), it is important to know the frequency of various levels of scatter in the general population. To provide this information, the magnitude of scatter across all 11 subtests, and across the subtests of the Verbal and Performance scales, was computed for each of the 1,880 individuals used in the WAIS‐R standardization. The range (difference between highest and lowest subtest scaled scores) was found to be an effective measure of scatter when compared with other, more complex indices. Scaled score scatter, which ranged from 2 to 16 points on the Full Scale, averaged 6.7 points for the Full Scale and 4.7 points each for the Verbal and Performance scales. Scatter had little relationship to age, sex, race, and years of education completed. However, the average amount of scatter increased substantially with IQ level. Normative tables for interpreting scatter are provided, and implications of these findings for the practitioner, especially in neuropsychology, are discussed.