4. Cog Psych Tests & WAIS

Question 1

Why is the importance of psychometric testing increasing?

Answer 1

• Neuroscience more popular
• Cognition is now relevant part of case conceptualisation
• Understanding cognition important in understanding disorders, cognition relates to function
  e. g. disorders like depression, psychosis have neurobiological interactions-> cognitive deficits

Question 2

What does Coding in the WAIS-IV examine?

Answer 2

• processing speed
• fine motor skill
• attention

Question 3

What three levels of intelligence does the Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory focus on?

Answer 3

1. Narrow abilities (specific abilities effected by experience and learning)
2. Broad abilities (general abilities, long-standing, influence variety of behaviour)
3. General intelligence factor (complex higher order cognitive processes)

Question 4

How do you know if a test is reliable?

Answer 4

It has a small measurement error and produces consistent measurement results (measurement error is diff between a true score and the test score)

Question 5

What indexes are included in the general ability index (GAI)?

Answer 5

Verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning

Question 6

What indexes are included in the cognitive proficiency index (CPI)?

Answer 6

Working memory, processing speed

Question 7

What cognitive capacities are tested in the verbal comprehension index and what are it’s three subtests?

Answer 7

Verbal comprehension= retrieval of info from long-term storage and reasoning with verbal material

1. similarities
2. vocabulary
3. information

Question 8

What cognitive capacities are tested in the perceptual reasoning index and what are it’s three subtests?

Answer 8

Perceptual reasoning= reasoning w visual stimuli, analysis & synthesis of abstract visual stimuli.

1. block design
2. matrix reasoning
3. visual puzzles

Question 9

What cognitive capacities are tested in the working memory index and what are it’s two subtests?

Answer 9

Working memory= registration and holding of info and mental manipulation using aud stimuli.

1. digit span
2. arithmetic

Question 10

What cognitive capacities are tested in the processing speed index and what are it’s two subtests?

Answer 10

Processing speed= processing speed w nonverbal stimuli.

1. Coding
2. Symbol search

Question 11

What are some common scoring errors?

Answer 11

• Variable interpretation of similarities and vocabulary responses
• Not including scores for items prior to baseline (before “start here”)
• Giving scores for items that are correct but were completed after time limit on arithmetic and visual puzzles

Question 12

What is considered first-order and second-order interpretation of results?

Answer 12

First-order= FSIQ, ,GAI, index scores
Second-order= strengths and weaknesses at subtest level, process score analysis

Question 13

What is considered;

average, low average and extremely low?

Answer 13

Average= 90-109
Low average= 10-89
Extremely low= <69