The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is the most widely used intelligence test in the world. Now in its fifth edition, the WISC-V has been translated and adapted for use in nearly a dozen countries. Despite its popularity, numerous concerns have been raised about some of the procedures used to develop and validate translated and…

This article is a commentary on McGill et al.'s (2020) article "Use of Translated and Adapted Versions of the WISC-V: Caveat Emptor." McGill et al. use caveat emptor in their title to indicate that the buyer of an assessment must be careful about the product being purchased, presumably because the seller of the assessment is not being…

As a result of the upcoming Federal reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), practitioners and researchers have begun vigorously debating what constitutes evidence-based assessment for the identification of specific learning disability (SLD). This debate has resulted in strong support for a method that…

THE RELEVANCE OF INTELLIGENCE TESTS FOR EDUCATIONAL USES IS CHALLENGED ON TWO GROUNDS--(1) TESTS WHICH MERELY PREDICT THE LIKELIHOOD OF FUTURE SUCCESS DO NOT PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO PRESCRIBE TREATMENTS TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE, AND (2) INTELLIGENCE IS NOT DEFINED AND HENCE THE INTERPRETATION OF SCORES IS MISLEADING. IT IS…

The results of this experiment clearly indicate that the presence of induced anxiety in a testing situation can depress the subject's level of performance on the WISC. (Author)

Reviews the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, an individually administered test of intelligence and achievement. Finds it to be of high overall quality. (FL)

The cultural test bias hypothesis represents the contention that all ethnic or racial group differences on mental tests are due to inherent, artifactual biases produced within the tests through flawed psychometric methodology. This address focuses on an empirical evaluation of the cultural test bias hypothesis, especially emphasizing the construct…

Correlations with Binet IQ in the ITPA normative sample were corrected for restricted intelligence range. The corrected correlation for the Psycholinguistic Quotient is as high as that between the WISC and the Binet, a finding that raises a serious question about the construct validity of the ITPA. (Author)

The current controversy over standardized tests is not an effort to abandon assessment, rather it is an effort to develop assessment procedures that are more in keeping with a new set of educational and social assumptions. (Author/IRT)

Used computer simulation to examine the reliability of interpretations for Kaufman's "intelligent testing" approach to the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (3rd ed.) (WISC-III). Findings indicate that factor index-score differences and other measures could not be interpreted with confidence. Argues that limitations of IQ testing…

Discrepancies between the mental age (MA) scores and the mean performance of chronological age (CA) groups in the latest revision of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale are noted. A table is presented for converting published Stanford-Binet MA scores into MA scores that are congruent with the above definition. (Author)

In this interview, Leon Kamin, a prominent psychologist, rejects the theory that intelligence is transmitted by heredity. He deplores the practice of finding scientific data to support political policies, and he challenges that standardized tests-as they are now used-create social harm. (Editor/PG)

The validity of the fourth edition of the Stanford-Binet (S-B IV) test was studied with 30 linguistically precocious children at ages 20, 24, and 30 months. Validity at 24 months was questionable. Problems in using the test with very young children are discussed. (SLD)

Score differentials between the revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) were investigated in 25 possibly mentally handicapped adolescents (10 white, 15 black). Each S was individually administered both the WISC-R and the WAIS. Results supported the hypothesis that for mentally…