Profile Analysis of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised

Abstract

Seventy-seven children referred for psychological evaluations to a school psychology training clinic in Pennsylvania and 192 children referred for psychological evaluations through the public schools in Nebraska had their WISC-R subtest scores profile analyzed, with four distinct profiles identified. Cross-validation indicated that the four profiles were similar across the two samples. Profile elevation, scatter, and shape scores were calculated for each child in the combined samples. The use of these scores in a stepwise multiple regression procedure indicated that profile elevation was the major predictor of academic achievement. Shape values added significant but almost inconsequential variance to the predictions of both Reading and Arithmetic. Scatter in dices did not aid in the prediction of achievement. The meaning and usefulness of WISC-R profile analysis is discussed.