Criticizes and examines the motives behind Charles Murray's "The Bell Curve." Murray's book claimed that many social problems, including crime and poverty among blacks, could be explained by African Americans' lack of intelligence as evidenced by testing. Reveals the book's skewed methodology as well as its interest-guided financial…

This paper addresses the problem of heterogeneity of samples of learning disabled (LD) children by comparing five different systems for identifying homogeneous subgroups in terms of their ability to predict longitudinal reading and mathematics scores. One hundred and sixty LD children served as subjects. Three of the five subgrouping systems were…

This response argues that Linda Siegel's paper (EC221505) confuses measures of intelligence with predicted achievement, calls for doing away with the construct of learning disabilities rather than the discrepancy definition model, and overlooks the need to determine which students qualify for special educational services for treatment of learning…

Evaluation of mean score differences between the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (Fourth Edition) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) (WISC-R) for 126 children with academic difficulties found the Stanford-Binet composite score was significantly higher than the WISC-R score at the lower end of the ability continuum but…

The classification of intelligence has been a prime interest to many for over three-quarters of a century. The Wechsler scales of intelligence and the development of factor analysis have both played major roles in the shaping of psychometric thought. An examination of this joint history by means of a review of the factor analytic studies of the…

Performance on the Digit Span (DSP) and Digit Symbol (DSY) subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) have been said to be vulnerable to the effects of anxiety, seating arrangements, and sex of subject. To determine the effects of these variables on anxiety and test performance on the WAIS-R DSP and DSY subtests, 40 male and 40…

This critique of a paper by Linda Siegel (EC221505) challenges Siegel's assumptions on the relationship of Intelligence Quotient to learning disabilities as being unacceptable and non-literature-based, and points out that discussion of Intelligence Quotient cutoffs may be moot given that 49 states employ no cutoff for learning disabilities. (JDD)

Scores of 66 elementary students (referred for poor learning progress) on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) were below mean performance on all Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (SB:FE) area scores except memory. The study refutes the assertion that the PPVT-R is an appropriate screening instrument for the SB:FE.…

Today's tests of intelligence are largely unchanged over the past 70 to 80 years, despite substantial changes in the way intelligence is conceptualized. The history of intelligence testing reveals that much more has been done to perfect the measurement of traits that are static and immutable than has been done to make or keep intelligence tests…

This commentary supports Linda Siegel's challenge to the learning disabilities field (in EC221505) to produce data indicating that dyslexic readers differ from other poor readers in their cognitive processing, educational prognosis, and response to treatment. The commentary also points out that the existence of Matthew effects reinforces Siegel's…

This study examined differences between Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) scores for 40 elementary students with learning disabilities. WISC-III Full Scale, Verbal, and Performance scores were lower than comparable WISC-R scores by one-third to one-half a…

The stability of intelligence test scores over time was examined for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). Subjects included 64 children aged 6-16, who had been administered the WISC-R during prior evaluations. These students had been referred because of academic difficulties. One-third of the sample had taken the test…

A study of 33 elementary/middle school deaf children correlated Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised Performance Intelligence Quotients (IQs) with Stanford Achievement Test-Hearing Impaired Edition (SAT-HI) grade equivalents and age-based percentiles. A second study of 64 children correlated nonverbal IQs from many tests with SAT-HI…

Research procedures used to evaluate the intelligence of children with specific language impairment are reviewed. Almost half of the 167 studies did not include adequate descriptions of intelligence assessment. (Author/JDD)

Use of the discrepancy approach in defining learning disabilities is challenged, as intelligence tests do not measure potential, are not independent from what is measured by achievement tests, and are not powerful predictors of low reading performance. Use of intelligence tests in analysis, identification, and definition of learning disabilities…