Application of the Seven-Subtest Short Form of the WAIS-R in African Americans with Brain Damage

Abstract

This study examined the accuracy of Ward's (1990) seven-subtest short form for predicting WAIS-R IQs of 54 African Americans with brain damage. Means for age, education, and FSIQ were 47.1 years (SO= 16.6), 10.8 years (SD= 2.4), and 79.3 (SD = 11.6). Short-form VIQs, PIQs, and FSIQs were within ±1 standard error of measurement of the actual WAIS-R scores 81.5%, 83.3%, and 83.3% of the time. This abbreviation may be applied to African Americans with brain damage when general estimates of intellectual functioning are required. However, the shortened scale detected reliable VIQ.PIQ discrepancies on the WAIS-R only 53% of the time. Therefore, interpretation of significant short-form-based VIQ-PIQ discrepancies should be avoided.