The purpose of this study was to explore the construct validity of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II; Kaufman & Kaufman, 2004a) and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition (WJ-III COG; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) with a sample of 200 preschool children, ranging in age from 4 years, 0 months to 5 years, 1 1 months, and attending preschool and daycare programs in and around a Midwestern city. This study attempted to determine if the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) factor structure represented on these tests can be identified with young children. Individual confirmatory factor analyses were conducted separately with the KABC-II and WJ-III COG. Moreover, a joint confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using both the KABC-II and WJ-III COG. The results of the individual KABC-II factor analyses indicated a two-tiered Gf Gc model provided the best fit to the data, although the three-tiered CHC model also fit the data well. This suggests the underlying factor structure of the KABC-II is well represented by the CHC theory. The WJ-III COG was best represented by an alternative CHC model, in which the Gf factor and subtests had been removed, indicating not all CHC constructs represented on the WJ-III COG can be reliably identified among young children. The joint confirmatory factor analysis indicated the strongest measures of the shared CHC factors on the KABCII and WJ-III COG, which can help to guide cross-battery assessment with preschool children. Overall, the results confirmed multiple CHC abilities can be assessed with young children, implying clinicians should be using preschool tests that provide scores for several cognitive abilities. This study also revealed the constructs of the CHC theory may be represented somewhat differently on preschool tests due to developmental influences. Strong correlations were evident between unrelated tasks, primarily because the verbal and linguistic demands of many subtests caused them to load unexpectedly on the Gc factor. Suggestions for future research include conducting the same study using preschool children with suspected disabilities, as well as with older children, examining other instruments that include a Gf factor, and conducting exploratory factor analysis with subtests from the KABC-II and WJ-III COG that contain significant components of more than one ability. / Department of Educational Psychology

Individual differences in human intellectual abilities and the measurement of those differences have been of great interest to the field of school psychology. As such, different theoretical perspectives and corresponding test batteries have evolved over the years as a way to explain and measure these abilities. A growing interest in the field of school psychology has been to use more than one intelligence test in a "cross-battery" assessment in hopes of measuring a wider range (or a more in-depth but selective range) of cognitive abilities. Additionally, interest in assessing intelligence began to focus on preschool-aged children because of initiatives to intervene early with at-risk children. The purpose of this study was to examine the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB-V) and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II) in relation to the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of intelligence using a population of 200 preschool children. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted with these two tests individually as well as in conjunction with one another. Different variations of the CHC model were examined to determine which provided the best representation of the underlying CHC constructs measured by these tests. Results of the CFAs with the SBV revealed that it was best interpreted from a two-stratum model, although results with the KABC-II indicated that the three-stratum CHC model was the best overall design. Finally, results from the joint CFA did not provide support for a cross-battery assessment with these two particular tests.3 / Department of Educational Psychology

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Psychology

At the same time that research has raised questions about the efficiency, cost effectiveness and overall value of triennial reevaluation in special education programs, school psychologists have expressed a desire to spend less time in psychometric testing. This study examined the effects of using the General Purpose Abbreviated Battery of the Stanford-Binet: Fourth Edition (Binet GP) in the triennial reevaluation of learning disabled students.The Binet GP, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-Brief Form (Kaufman BF) were given concurrently to 50 learning disabled students during triennial reevaluation. Intelligence/ achievement discrepancy scores were calculated by subtracting Kaufman BF achievement subtest scores from achievement levels predicted by performance on the Binet GP and WISC-R intelligence scales. These discrepancy scores were compared to determine how use of the Binet GP might effect eligibility for placement in a learning disabilities program. Cognitive scores derived from the Binet GP and the WISC-R were also compared.Descriptive statistics and univariate correlations were computed. The correlational relationship between intelligence scores on the Binet GP and the WISC-R was significant, positive and substantial. The relationship between discrepancy scores was significant, positive and high. A repeated measures analysis of mean differences between Binet GP and WISC-R scores was nonsignificant as was a comparison of the variances and mean discrepancy scores. A chi-square and a coefficient of level of classification (Kappa) were used to test agreement in classification as projected by Binet GP and WISC-R discrepancy scores. Agreement in classification and level of classification was significant with 86% of the subjects classified the same by both cognitive measures. It appears that, used judiciously and in like context, the Binet GP might be a time efficient and valid addition to reevaluation. / Department of Educational Psychology

This study looked at the relationship between the 27 indices on the California Verbal Learning Test - Children's Version (CVLT-C) and the 19 scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children - Third Edition (WISC-III). The sample consisted of 58 children, ages 6-16 from a clinical population. The subgroups with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Learning Disabilities (LD), and High Ability (HA) were compared to children with no clinical diagnosis (ND) on WISC-III Full Scale IQ, Verbal IQ, and Performance IQ; on CVLT-C Total Recall Trials 1-5; and on CVLC factors of Attention Span, Learning Efficiency, Free Delayed Recall, Cued Delayed Recall, and Inaccurate Recall. Twelve significant correlations were found between the CVLT-C and WISC-III including Full Scale IQ with Total Recall Trials 1-5, Discriminability, and False Positives; Verbal IQ with False Positives; Vocabulary with Total Recall Trials 1-5; Information with Serial Cluster Ratio; Digit Span with Total Recall Trials 1-5 and Discriminability; Processing Speed with Discriminability and False Positives; and Symbol Search with False Positives, all within the moderate range. In comparing clinical subgroups, children with ADHD did not differ significantly from those without a clinical diagnosis (ND) on any selected measures. Children diagnosed with learning disabilities were significantly lower on Total Recall Trials 1-5, Attention Span, and Cued Delayed Recall. Children with high abilities (HA) were significantly higher on WISC-III Full Scale IQ, Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, CVLT-C Total Recall Trials 1-5, Learning Efficiency, and Free Delayed Recall. This study empirically supported a positive relationship between memory processes and cognitive abilities while also confirming that each are a part of a larger cognitive process. / Department of Educational Psychology

The relationship between lesion volume in children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and IQ scores was investigated in this study. Participants included eight children between the ages of 8-12 years with primarily right hemisphere TBIs and 16 normals who were matched based on age and gender. Archival data employing the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - III (WISC-III) scores was the source of Verbal IQ (VIQ), Performance IQ (PIQ), and Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores. Severity of injury was determined using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) which was contained in the same archival database. Lesion volume was determined utilizing National Institute of Health (NIH) Image (Version 1.76) and magnetic resonance imaging scans of the injured children. The area of the lesion was outlined, using the freehand line tool, on successive slices, summed, and multiplied by the corresponding acquisition slice gap to obtain a measure of total volume. Results indicated that lesion volume does not explain a significant portion of the variance associated with TBI. Severely injured children had lower IQs than children with mild or no injury. Additionally, children with right hemisphere injuries had significantly lower VIQ, PIQ, and FSIQ scores than normals. Qualitative analyses revealed that lesion volume appears to be related to the change in IQ scores during recovery. Typically, children with larger lesions (e.g., more severe injury) had greater functional losses and had greater gains to make; therefore, they demonstrated greater changes in IQ score as compared to less severely injured children. Predicting the area of deficit based upon lesion location yielded results congruent with chance. Results appear to reinforce the complexity of TBI; no single piece of data explains a significant portion of the variance associated with this phenomenon. Future research should strive toExamine and control for the numerous factors associated with TBI (e.g., age, lesion location, lesion volume, premorbid abilities, parental education, GCS score, gender, use of standard test battery, and many others) within a single study. Efforts to provide optimal treatment and recovery of TBI patients could be informed by such research. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the relationship between a recently revised, multidimensional intelligence test (WJ III COG) and a short form of an older, well-established intelligence test (WISC-III) with intellectually gifted children. As such, this study examined the implications of using a theoretically and empirically sound choice (WJ III COG) as compared to a more practical alternative (i.e., WISC-III short form); it also explored the impact of different cut-off and eligibility criteria upon eligibility decisions. Participants were solicited from a group of 75 students who had been nominated for a gifted program at a small elementary school located on the urban fringe of a midsize city in the Midwest. Thirty-five students, ranging in age from 9 years, 2 months to 11 years, 1 month, participated in this study. The sample included 15 students who were admitted into the program and 20 students who were deemed ineligible. The WISC-III short form exhibited a positive relationship with the WJ III COG, as its FSIQ estimate correlated significantly with both the WJ III COG GIA-Std and BIA scores, accounting for approximately 33% and 35% of the variance, respectively. The eligible group performed significantly higher on the WISC-III short form than the WJ III COG, whereas the ineligible group performed consistently across all global measures of intelligence. The eligibility of 46% of the sample varied as a result of the test and restrictiveness of the cut-off criteria. More students were identified as intellectually gifted when flexible, rather than strict, cut-off criteria were used to make eligibility decisions. Moreover, the eligibility of approximately 63% of the participants varied as a result of the test and whether eligibility criteria involved general and specific intellectual abilities or solely general intellectual ability. More students were deemed eligible when general and specific intellectual abilities were considered as compared to decisions based only on general intellectual ability. / Department of Educational Psychology

A considerable about of research has concentrated on studying the performance of high achieving children on measures of intellectual functioning. Findings have indicated high achieving children display differences in performance patterns as well as in the cognitive constructs measured when compared to their average peers. The conceptualization of intelligence has evolved over time and contemporary theories of intelligence have described cognitive ability as consisting of multiple constructs which are often interrelated. Currently. one of the most comprehensive and empirically supported theories of intelligence is the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory (Cattell, 1941; Horn, 1968: Carroll, 1993). The multidimensional and hierarchical CHC theory has served as the foundation for the development and recent revisions of cognitive ability measures such as the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability– Third Edition (WJ-III COG; McGrew & Woodcock 2001) and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales – Fifth Edition (SBS: Raid, 2003b). The purpose of this study was to explore the construct validity of the WJ-III COG and SB5 with a sample of high achieving children. Individual confirmatory factor analyses were conducted using the WJ-III COG and SB5. Additionally. a joint confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using both the WJ-III COG and SB5. The results indicated an alternative six-factor WJ-IlI COG and four-factor SB5 models provided the best fit to the data of a high achieving sample, supporting previous research suggesting high achieving children display differences in cognitive constructs when compared with their average counterparts. The joint-confirmatory factor analysis indicated the best measures for the CHC factors measured by both the WJ-III COG and SB5 to help guide cross-battery assessments with high functioning children. Clinical applications of the findings are discussed. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Split-Half Short Form WISC-R correlates over time with the WISC-R and whether either of these two separately administered measures of intellectual ability were able to predict academic achievement in a sample of learning disabled students using the WRAT as the criterion variable.The subjects were 100 (71 males, 29 females) students, ages, 6 through 16, selected from a special education learning disabled school population. All the subjects were administered the WISC-R an average of three years prior to the administration of the WISC-RSH and the WRAT.Two hypotheses were specified for the separately administered test forms: No significant difference between corresponding scales of WISC-R and WISC-RSH; and no difference in ability of corresponding WISC-R and WISC-RSH scale scores in predicting academic achievement using the WRAT Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic standard scores. Pearson Product-Moment correlation analyses were used to determine if a significant relationship existed between Verbal, Performance and Full-Scale IQ scores of the WISC-R and WISC-RSH. Regression analysis procedures were used to determine the predictive validity of each of these measures to the WRAT subscales.The results revealed that the Verbal, Performance and Full Scale IQ scores of the WISC-R and the WISC-RSH were significantly correlated (r=.60, .69, .72, respectively) over the three year period.Indices of predictability obtained from regression procedures revealed that neither test form was able to predict academic achievement using the WRAT scores as the criteria. However, both test forms performed similarly in their predictive ability, with the WISC-RSH demonstrating a slightly better predictive ability than the WISC-R. This can be explained by the fact that the WISC-RSH and WRAT were administered concurrently three years after the WISC-R.Results from this study show promise that the WISC-RSH, Verbal, Performance and Full Scale IQ scores may be used in the re-evaluation assessment process of learning disabled students. It remains open to question whether the WISC-RSH can be used in place of the WISC-R for all special education students in light of what previous studies have demonstrated regarding the WISC-R's ability to predict academic achievement in other exceptional sample populations. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among measures of cognitive functioning, adaptive behavior, and language acquisition for a referred preschool population. The subjects were 115 preschoolers (75 boys and 40 girls) under the age of 6 years who had received a psychoeducational battery of tests for either suspected learning difficulties, emotional problems, or attention disorders. This data was collected from the archival records in a children's hospital.Pearson product moment correlations were used to examine the relationship among measures of cognitive functioning, adaptive behavior, and language acquisition. Correlation matrices were formulated to investigate the relationship.Three groups were delineated dependent on the instrument used to assess the preschoolers: Group 1 received the Bayley Intelligence Scale for Children and the Wisconsin Adaptive Behavior Scale; Group 2 received the Bayley Intelligence Scale for Children and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale; and Group 3 received the Stanford-Binet LM, the Vineland, and the Preschool Language Scale.The correlations obtained in Group 1 were all statistically significant (p<.01); these correlations for cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior were the highest of all the three groups. In fact, considerably higher than might be predicted after the review of the literature that contends that cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior are separate yet related constructs. Moderate correlations between cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior were found for the other two groups in alignment with earlier studies.In examining cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior for this referred preschool population it seems that the relationship changes as the child gets older. This study was not longitudinal; however, a greater separation of the constructs of cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior existed for the older child in this sample.In addition to examining the relationship between cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior, this study also looked at language acquisition in relationship to cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior. Statistically significantly high correlations were found for cognitive functioning and language acquisition for this study. The Preschool Language Scale Expressive subdomain was slightly more highly correlated with the Stanford-Binet LM than the Preschool Language Scale Receptive subdomain. This is consistent with the Vineland's Expressive subdomain correlating higher with the Stanford-Binet LM than the Vineland's Receptive subdomain. This suggests the age of the child has something to do with measuring language acquisition in the areas of receptive and expressive language.Given the moderate to high correlations for cognitive functioning, adaptive behavior, and language acquisition for this referred preschool population, it was concluded that measures of adaptive behavior and language acquisition assess constructs similar, yet distinct to cognitive functioning. Therefore, they are both valuable components in comprehensive assessment especially of children "at-risk". / Department of Educational Psychology