The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) Theories Cognitive Psychology Print The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Medically reviewed by Updated on February 19, 2020 Getty Images More in Theories Cognitive Psychology Behavioral Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is an intelligence test first published in 1955 and designed to measure intelligence in adults and older adolescents. The test was designed by psychologist David Wechsler, who believed that intelligence was made up of a number of different mental abilities rather than a single general intelligence factor. History of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales Wechsler was dissatisfied with what he believed were the limitations of the Stanford-Binet intelligence test. Among his chief complaints about that test was the single score that emerged, its emphasis on timed tasks, and the fact that the test had been designed specifically for children and was therefore invalid for adults. As a result, Wechsler devised a new test during the 1930s, known as the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scales. The test was later revised and became known as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, or WAIS. How Did the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Compare to the Stanford Binet? One interesting thing to note is that Alfred Binet, the developer of the worlds first intelligence test, also believed that intelligence was far too complex a subject to be sufficiently described by a single number. The goal of his original test was to help identify children who needed specialized help in school and he felt that a variety of individual factors, including a childs level of motivation, could influence test scores. Stanford-Binet Developed in 1939 Produced only a single, general intelligence score Developed for use with children Emphasized timed tests WAIS Introduced in 1955 Developed as a reaction to perceived weaknesses with the Stanford-Binet Provides a number of different scores on areas such as verbal comprehension and working memory Created to be used with adults Only some of the subtests on the WAIS are timed In a sense, Wechslers test was a return to many of the ideas that Binet had also espoused. Instead of giving a single overall score, the WAIS provided a profile of the test-takers overall strengths and weaknesses. One benefit of this approach is that the pattern of scores can also provide useful information. For example, scoring high in certain areas but low in others might indicate the presence of a specific learning disability. Like the traditional Stanford-Binet test, the WAIS also provides an overall score.?? However, Wechsler utilized a different approach to calculating this number. As you might remember from reading about the history of intelligence testing, scores on the early Stanford-Binet were derived from dividing mental age by chronological age. On the WAIS, Wechsler instead compared scores of the test-taker to those of others in his or her general age group. The average score is fixed at 100, with approximately two-thirds of all scores falling somewhere between 85 and 115. Test scores that fall between these two numbers are considered average, normal intelligence. Many other intelligence tests later decided to adopt Wechslers method, including the modern version of the Stanford-Binet.?? Versions of the WAIS There have been four different versions of the WAIS: WAIS (1955)WAIS-R (1981)WAIS-III (1997)WAIS-IV (2008) The Current Version The current version of the WAIS was released in 2008 and includes ten core subtests as well as five supplemental subtests. The test provides four major scores: Verbal ComprehensionPerceptual ReasoningWorking MemoryProcessing Speed Additionally, the WAIS-IV provides two overall summary scores: Full-Scale IQGeneral Ability Index The WAIS surpassed the Stanford-Binet in use during the 1960s. Today the WAIS is the most frequently intelligence test in the world with both adolescents and adults.?? Data collection for the newest version of the test (WAIS-V) is progressing through Spring 2020.??