title: Does high scatter affect the predictive validity of WAIS-III IQs?
abstract: We tested the assumption that high amounts of intersubtest scatter on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III) subtest profiles compromise predictive validity of the IQs for predicting Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition (WMS-III) indexes. Data from a sample of 80 male Veteran's Administration medical center patients were analyzed, half with high intersubtest scatter and half with low scatter. The 2 groups were matched on Full Scale IQ. Correlations of WAIS-III Full Scale IQ with WMS-III indexes were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Further, the regression equations for predicting WMS-III indexes did not depend on the amount of scatter. The results suggest that, when differences in IQ are controlled, the validity of WAIS-III scores in predicting memory performance does not depend on the amount of intersubtest scatter. Further research is needed with samples from different populations using a variety of criterion variables.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri 64093, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kreiner
authors.forename: D Bradley
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Burton
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012494:Sampling Studies; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology; D014888:Wechsler Scales / Q000592:standards*