IQ Testing & Brain Damage

Full Scale IQ Person’s relative standing in comparison w/ age- related peers and global estimate of overall mental abilities Most Reliable and Valid Score –BUT…it becomes less important as Verbal and performance scores increase in difference and subtest scatter increases

Verbal IQ Verbal Comprehension Abilities: -The ability to work with abstract symbols -The amount and degree of benefit a person has received from education -Verbal memory abilities -Verbal fluency -Verbal fluency

Performance IQ Perceptual Organizational Abilities –Degree and quality of nonverbal contact with the environment –Ability to integrate perceptual stimuli with relevant motor responses –Capacity to work in concrete situations –Ability to work quickly –Ability to evaluate visuo-spatial information

Book In your book there is a description of each subtest and exactly what it measures starting on page 162. For example the Vocabulary Test measures: –Language Development –Word Knowledge –General Verbal Intelligence –Etc.

V P differences Must have a 9 pt. difference to interpret Must interpret in context of age, education and condition Higher SES= higher verbal scores Unskilled workers = higher performance scores If the above were switched it would increase the interpretability of the scores

VP Differences Do not interpret if –Verbal comprehension and working memory/freedom from distractibility are 10+ pts. Different –If Perceptual Organization and Processing speed are 13+ different –If there is high subtest scatter

Index Scores Only interpret index scores in the highest and lowest scores are “not too different” This point difference for each scale is on page 149 of your book. Verbal Comprehension Index Perceptual Organization Index Working Memory/Freedom from Distractibility Index Processing Speed Index

Verbal Comprehension Index Extent to which a cl understands the meaning of words Can conceptualize verbal information Can conceptualize verbal information Extent of factual knowledge related to verbal material Extent of factual knowledge related to verbal material Ability to express material in words THIS MATERIAL IS PRESENTED AS ORAL QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED THIS MATERIAL IS PRESENTED AS ORAL QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED

Perceptual Organization Index Extent of good nonverbal, fluid reasoning Can integrate non-verbal material Pays close attention to detail Accurately responds to visual-spacial material Use of visual-spatial and visual motor skills to solve problems

Working Memory/Freedom from Distractibility Related to concentration, attention, short-term memory Lowered by poor number facility, anxiety, difficulty making mental shifts and poor self monitoring Requires motivation The person must attend to stimulus and simultaneously perform other mental tasks Behavioral observations are crucial –High asking for questions to be repeated (distractible) –High motor activity, excessive talking (anxiety/mania) –Must use with other measures to confirm (this is ONLY supportive)

Processing Speed Index Mental and Motor speed with which a person can solve nonverbal problems Person’s ability to plan, organize and develop relevant strategies Lowered by poor motivation

Assessing Brain Damage Areas to Assess: –Memory –Learning –Perceptual organization –Problem solving –Abstract reasoning

V>P 9 pts= Rt hemisphere lesion 15+ pts= impaired perceptual organizational abilities These support and do not diagnos

P>V 4 pts = lft hemisphere lesion 15+ pts = Language impairment Don’t forget that SES, job, condition, age, etc effect your interpretations

BOOK Pages 181 & 182 talk about specific subtest patterns and possible areas of the brain that maybe damaged. This is a comprehensive field of study and you should consider this book a very minimal introduction.

Other Uses for WISC Assessment Alzheimers Disease- Initial Symptoms include apathy, a decline in short-term memory, and difficulties with problem solving (Depression vs. Dementia) Learning Disabilities GiftednessADHD

Giftedness V or P >= 130 Use WAIS-III, Stanford Binet, Samples of work, achievement tests, rating forms, designation by qualified professional. IQ is only one prerequisite: Must need internal motivation, discipline, Environmental opportunities Creativity is not measured by these tests

Learning Disabilities Adequate Intelligence with a significant difference in intellectual ability and achievement. Must be an intrinsic disorder not due to MR, brain damage, behavioral problems, sensory handicaps or Environmental disadvantages Purpose of Assessment: To identify strengths and weaknesses; for appropriate placement in a program WAIS/WISC are “consistent with” not “diagnostic of” LD/ADHD