Week 6: Interpretation of WAIS

Question 1

How long does the administration of the WAIS take?

Answer 1

70-100 minutes.

Question 2

What are the 5 common mistakes made during administration?

Answer 2

1. Failing to query verbal responses
2. Leniency or mistakes when scoring
3. Failure to use follow up prompts suggested by the manual
4. Incorrect calculations
5. Forgetting to keep time

Question 3

What are the most common criticisms of the WAIS with regard to diverse populations?

Answer 3

WAIS subtests rely on verbal and auditory skills that require proficiency in English. Performance is also linked to education.

Question 4

What issues are raised with online administration of the WAIS?

Answer 4

Evidence underpinning the WAIS has mainly been based on face-to-face administration. Additionally, it can make it difficult to make behavioural observations, as well as raise issues around test security.

Question 5

What information should be reported when scoring?

Answer 5

The IQ scores, confidence interval, percentile of the score, and a comparison to same-aged peers.

Question 6

What is the first level of interpretation?

Answer 6

Level I is the full scale IQ which gives the person’s relative standing in comparison with their peers. It provides a global estimate of their overall mental abilities.

Question 7

What is the second level of interpretation?

Answer 7

Level II is the index scores or other clusters/groupings which provides a more detailed understanding of the person’s intellectual functioning. It is unlikely to be valid if the subtests differ by five or more points.

Question 8

What is the third level of interpretation?

Answer 8

Level III is the subtest variability which gives an indication of the relative strengths and weaknesses. This is only used when there is a subtest scatter.

Question 9

What is the fourth level of interpretation?

Answer 9

Level IV is the qualitative/process analysis which focuses on why scores might be high or low.