ERIC Number: ED367668
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1993-Apr
Reference Count: N/A
Interpretation of the WISC-III and Its Subtests.
Nicholson, Charles L.; Alcorn, Charles L.
The use of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) and its interpretation in educational use are discussed. To measure intelligence, Wechsler believed one must measure the various aptitudes that contribute to the total behavior of the individual. The WISC-III has six verbal subtests and seven performance subtests. The verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ) is obtained by adding the scaled scores of all the verbal subtests except Digit Span, and the performance IQ (PIQ) is derived from five of the performance subtests. The PIQ is not as good a predictor of school achievement as is the VIQ. Indexes derived from the WISC-III subtests include: (1) verbal comprehension; (2) perceptual organization; (3) freedom from distractibility; and (4) processing speed. Subtest scatter and possible causes for significantly high and low subtest scores are explored and include reasons for differences between VIQ and PIQ. Factors that have been identified based on the WISC editions are listed, and ways in which subtest scores may suggest possible brain damage and emotional disturbance are reviewed. A worksheet is described that can enable the evaluator to examine a number of WISC-III factors for making placement and curriculum recommendations. (Contains 44 references.) (SLD)
Descriptors: Aptitude, Behavior Patterns, Children, Cognitive Processes, Comprehension, Curriculum Development, Diagnostic Tests, Educational Diagnosis, Emotional Disturbances, Intelligence, Intelligence Tests, Learning Disabilities, Measurement Techniques, Measures (Individuals), Perceptual Development, Performance Tests, Prediction, Scaling, Student Placement, Test Interpretation, Test Reliability, Test Use, Test Validity, Verbal Tests
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists (25th, Washington, DC, April 17, 1993).