Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T16:34:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ANA EDINA DE MELO SAMPAIO.pdf: 3255886 bytes, checksum: 39f41039f9e80740097074b738b63e1e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004-03-30 / Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo fazer uma avaliação neuropsicológica das funções cognitivas de crianças com Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne. Avaliou dez meninos, com idade entre seis e quinze anos. Utilizou-se da Escala de Inteligência Wechsler para crianças, WISC III, fazendo uma análise quantitativa e qualitativa dos dados. Os resultados quantitativos indicaram QIV muito diversificado entre os sujeitos, variando entre 53 e 97, sendo o QIVM = 77.4. A mesma variação foi observada no QIE, com resultados variando entre 57 e 88, com QIEM=71.2. O QITM foi de 71.4. . Esses resultados localizam-se na faixa limítrofe, dentro das variações normais da inteligência. A análise qualitativa fatorial segundo Figueiredo, registrou maior rebaixamento no fator III, Resistência à Distração, seguido do fator IV, Velocidade de Processamento. Na Escala Verbal, os subtestes que implicavam em utilização da Memória foram os mais comprometidos, comprovando pesquisas anteriores. Na Escala de Execução, o maior prejuízo observado foi devido à dificuldade em códigos e símbolos, sob pressão de tempo. Não foi observada nas crianças com resultados mais baixos, diferença significativa entre o QIV e o QIE. A transposição dos dados para a leitura neuropsicológica utilizou-se do diagrama de McFie. A grande diversidade dos resultados individuais recomenda estudos posteriores.

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of children on the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R) with their performance on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition (SB:FE). One hundred and four children between 3 and 7 years of age were administered both tests. A moderate correlation was found between the WPPSI-R Full Scale IQ and the SB:FE Composite Score with a Pearson product-moment correlation of .46. This correlation suggests that the two tests are not interchangeable measures of children's intelligence. They may measure different, equally important aspects of intelligence. As both tests used are relatively new, the current findings should be considered one step in the accumulation of knowledge about the usefulness of the WPPSI-R.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of "game" and "test" instructions on the intelligence test performance of high- and low-test-anxious children. Eighty-one subjects diagnosed as learning disabled were given the Test Anxiety Scale for Children (TASC) to determine their level of test anxiety. Based on TASC scores, 44 subjects were classified as either fljgj- or low- test-anxious. These subjects were given the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) using either game or test instructions to introduce the test. The resulting 10 and subtest configuration scores were used to compare high- and low-test-anxious subjects by the type of instructions they received prior to testing. This comparison yielded no significant differences between high and low-test-anxious subjects, indicating that the way the WISC-R is Introduced does not play a significant role in the WISC-R performance of high- and low-test-anxious children.

This study investigated the relation of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R) for learning disabled (LD) children, the relation of K-ABC Achievement subtests with other achievement tests, and the relation of verbal and perceptual abilities assessment and the K-ABC. One hundred white, middle to above socioeconomic status (SES), LD students 6 to 12 1/2 years old were administered the K-ABC in addition to the test battery used to identify them. Findings indicated significant differences (2<-01) between WISC-R Full Scale scores and KABC MPC scores, with MPC scores being 3.33 points lower. Significant correlations (2<-01) were found between the following: (a) WISC-R Performance scores and K-ABC Simultaneous scores, (b) K-ABC Sequential and Simultaneous scores, (c) WISC-R Performance and K-ABC Sequential scores, (d) K-ABC Arithmetic and WRAT Arithmetic, and (e) K-ABC Reading Understanding and the following: Woodcock Word Identification, Woodcock Passage Comprehension, WRAT Reading, and Durrell Silent Reading. The study found the MPC correlates higher with tests of perceptual ability than with tests of verbal ability. Results indicate the following: (a) the WISC-R and K-ABC can substitute each other when measuring overall intelligence, (b) the WISC-R and K-ABC do not measure the same abilities, (c) the Sequential-Simultaneous score discrepancy is a poor diagnostic indicator of LD, (d) the discrepancy between the Achievement scale and the K-ABC intelligence scales is a poor diagnostic indicator of LD, (e) the K-ABC Arithmetic subtest is no better and no worse than the WRAT Arithmetic subtest, (f) WRAT Reading, Woodcock Word Identification and K-ABC Reading Recognition are not interchangeable measures of word calling skills, (g) the K-ABC Reading Understanding subtest is as adequate a measure of reading comprehension as other available tests, (h) the MPC is clearly more a measure of perceptual ability than of verbal ability, and (i) the KABC is no more fair a measure to use with LD children than are intelligence tests with a heavy language component.

Limited data are available regarding the clinical utility of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III (WMS-III) Family Pictures (FP) subtest, yet it has received much criticism in the literature. Specific problems of the subtest that have been cited include the lack of clarity regarding the neuropsychological functions that significantly influence successful performance. The current study assesses the extent to which performance on the FP I and FP II subtests can be predicted by memory, visual ability, verbal ability, and executive functioning, in 454 outpatients from a neuropsychology clinic. Data from the Family Pictures I (FPI) and Family Pictures II (FPII) subtests, in addition to scores obtained from commonly used measures of memory, verbal, visual, and executive functioning were analyzed via hierarchical multiple regression analyses, co-varying for age and education. The current study also explores the extent to which the FP's individual components of character, location, and action load on factors of general verbal and visual-spatial abilities in a sample of 193 neuropsychology clinic outpatients. Results were obtained via three separate exploratory factor analyses (one for each FP component examined). Results of the multiple regression analyses indicated that FP I and FP II performance is best predicted by a mixed visual/verbal memory factor. Furthermore, the factor analyses revealed that all three components of location, action, and character load on a mixed general visual ability and general memory factor. These findings expand upon previous research by lending greater understanding of the skills needed for successful FP performance in neuropsychologically impaired populations.

This research involves an investigation of the construct validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-; Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) when compared to the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ III COG) to provide evidence for the utility of using the WISC-IV in assessing cognitive abilities according to the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory. The study was conducted using archival data consisting of 92 children and adolescents between the ages of 6 years and 16 years, 11 months referred for a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation at a university-affiliated assessment center. Data for all participants were collected following administration of a battery of measures as part of a neuropsychological evaluation, with tests administered in no particular order. The mean age of children was 9.82 years (SD= 2.81) with a mean grade level of 3.95 (SD= 2.63). Ten hypotheses were investigated specifically to examine the comparability of the general intellectual functioning scores for each battery among a sample of children with neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as to examine the convergent and discriminate validity of the WISC-IV index scores. The first hypothesis utilized a paired samplest&n-test and found that the WISC-IV Full Scale IQ score was significantly below that of the WJ III COG General Intellectual Ability-Extended score. For the remaining hypotheses, Pearson product-moment correlations revealed large correlations between the WISC-IV and WJ III COG convergent constructs of general intellectual functioning, comprehension-knowledge, fluid reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. For correlations between divergent constructs, the WISC-IV Verbal Comprehension Index and the WJ III COG Visual-Spatial Thinking (Gv) factor demonstrated a large correlation. Both the WISC-IV Processing Speed Index and Working Memory Index correlated moderately with the WJ III COGGvfactor, while the WISC-IV Perceptual Reasoning Index correlated moderately with the WJ III COG Auditory Processing factor. Fisher's r to Z transformation was used to assess for significant differences between the observed correlations and stipulated values determined. Results indicated that correlations between the global IQ, fluid reasoning, and short-term memory composite scores of the two measures were significantly greater than that found for the WISC-III and WJ III COG, while the relationship between the verbal ability and processing speed composite scores were consistent with past findings. Correlations between divergent constructs revealed a reliable pattern of significantly greater relationships than was found for research concerning the WISC-III and WJ III COG. Primarily, results of this study provided evidence that the substantive changes made to the WISC-IV have improved the ability to interpret the Full Scale IQ score as a measure of general intelligence similar to that obtained by the WJ III COG. However, the global IQ scores between the two measures cannot be assumed to be equivalent among children with neuropsychiatric disorders. Results also suggested that the WISC-IV appears to provide improved measurement of the CHC broad abilities of fluid reasoning (Gf) and short-term memory (Gsm). Correlations between divergent constructs provided evidence for relationships between cognitive abilities suggested to be significantly related to academic achievement. This study concluded that research findings for the WISC-III cannot be applied conclusively to the WISC-IV and that the substantive changes made to the WISC-IV have improved the ability to interpret the battery under the CHC framework. However, findings underscore the importance of examining performance across second-order factors that may contribute to differences in general intelligence, as well as remaining aware of differences in narrow ability constructs measured, task demands, or shared variance between subtests when making interpretations of test performance.

There has been much controversy concerning the comparability of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJTCA). Previous research has raised the issue of a mean score discrepancy between the tests when used with the learning disabled. This study analyzed and compared performances on these two tests by re-evaluated and newly referred LD students and newly referred non-LD students. In addition, subtypes of LD students were formed on the basis of achievement test scores. These students' test performances were also analyzed and compared. The results of this study were consistent with previous research. The Full Scale scores from the two tests were highly correlated in all three groups, but the WISC-R was significantly higher than the WJTCA for each group. Across the identified LD subtypes there was a significant difference between the Full Scale scores from the two tests. However, meaningful patterns of strengths and weaknesses across aspects of cognitive functioning were not uncovered. These results indicate that the WISC-R and WJTCA result in significantly different estimates of the cognitive ability of LD and referred students. This difference can be attributed to a combination of three possible explanations--the effects of the use of non-random samples, the use of different norm groups when the tests were standardized, and the tests contain different content.

The purpose of this study was to do a comparative analysis of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), a test of intelligence which is frequently used with Mexican American students, and its Spanish translation the Escala de Inteligencia Wechsler Para Ninos-Revisada (EIWN-R). The WISC-R was administered in English to 109 bilingual English proficient Mexican American students, and the EIWN-R was administered in Spanish to 109 other than English proficient or monolingual Spanish speakers. Language proficiency was determined according to students scores on the Language Assessment Scales (LAS). The groups were matched by sex, school and grade. Students tested were students who were referred for testing because of academic difficulties or students placed in Special Education classes who are required to be re-evaluated every three years. Using Confirmatory factor analysis, the first objective was to determine if the factor structures underlying the EIWN-R and the WISC-R are equivalent to the factor structure of the WISC-R normative population. The correlation matrices of both groups were compared to the correlation matrix of the normative population. Factor structures of the WISC-R and the normative population were found to be statistically different, while the factor structures of the EIWN-R and the normative group were not found to be different. The second objective was to determine if the subtest means of the WISC-R and EIWN-R were significantly different. To determine this, the subtest means of both groups were subjected to MANOVA. Significant differences between subtest means were found on four of the subtests. A MANOVA was also utilized for the third objective which set out to determine if significant differences in performance are present in the EIWN-R between those students who are placed in Special Education programs and those students who are not placed. So as not to confound the results, the EMR population was removed from the sample. Significant differences in the placed and the non-placed groups were found on eight of the eleven subtests. Implications of research findings are discussed as well as future trends regarding the assessment of language minority students.

The present study was conducted to address the need to compare the validity of intelligence tests in predicting learning and achievement for Mexican Americans and Anglo children. In addition, the study examined the effects of variations in the language of test administration on Mexican American children with different linguistic competences (predominantly Spanish, bilingual, predominantly English). A widely used individual intelligence test, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Revised (WISC-R), the Spanish English Screening Instrument, a subtraction skills pretest, five subtraction learning trials and five subtraction posttests were administered to a random sample of 150 Mexican American children and 50 Anglo children. The WISC-R and subtraction pretests and posttests were used as the predictor and criterion, respectively. The Cleary definition of bias in test use provided the basis for all analyses. Regression analysis were also performed in order to examine the effects of achievement and immediate prior learning on learning scores. In addition the Tukey Honestly Significant Difference test (HSD) was used following a one way analysis of variance to determine differences in IQ among the Anglo and Mexican American children tested under varying language conditions (English, Spanish, Bilingual). The results indicated that IQ test scores are not suitable predictors of learning for the Mexican American group and suggested that IQ scores can be used as predictors of learning for Anglo children. It was also found that IQ scores have utility in predicting achievement for both, Mexican American and Anglo children. In addition, analysis of variance data obtained from this study revealed significant differences in IQ associated with language of test administration. It was found that Mexican Americans tested in both Spanish and English obtained significantly higher scores than Mexican American children tested in English or Spanish alone. Findings from this study suggested that regardless of linguistic competence Mexican American children appear to benefit from bilingual approach to test administration. In short findings from this study revealed that the predictive validity of the WISC-R for Mexican American children is seriously impaired when a learning criterion is used. Implications of these findings were discussed and suggestions were made for the development of an assessment model based on learning as the criterion.

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) is likely to become the most widely used test of intelligence with deaf children, based on the popularity of the previous versions of the test. Because the test was constructed for hearing children who use spoken English, the following major research questions were asked: (a) Does the WISC-III demonstrate adequate construct validity? and (b) Do specific items exhibit differential item functioning (DIF), and does the nature of the content of each item that exhibits DIF imply that the item is biased? The test was translated into sign language and administered to a total of 110 deaf children at three different sites. The deaf children ranged from ages 8 through 16 (M = 13.25, SD = 2.37), had hearing losses identified as severe or worse, were prelingually deaf, used sign language as their primary means of communication, and were not identified as having any additional handicapping conditions. The sample of deaf children was compared to a sample of 110 hearing children similar in age and Performance IQ. Construct validity was examined using a LISREL multi-sample covariance structure analysis. The covariance structures were different (χ ² (91) = 119.42, p =.024). A Rasch Model was used to detect DIF on the following subtests: Picture Completion, Information, Similarities, Arithmetic, Vocabulary, Comprehension. All of these subtests exhibited DIF, and DIF plus the differences in mean logit ability resulted in numerous items that were more difficult for deaf children on the above Verbal subtests. Item bias was judged by examining the contents of items that exhibited DIF. Items were biased due generally to translation issues and differences in the educational curricula. Thus, deaf children are at a distinct disadvantage when taking these WISC-III subtests. Practitioners are urged to consider these findings when assessing deaf children.