WAIS Applications 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A clinician wants to estimate premorbid intellectual functioning in a patient with traumatic brain injury. Which WAIS-IV subtest score is MOST commonly used as an estimate of pre-injury ability?
- Digit Span
- Vocabulary (Correct answer)
- Matrix Reasoning
- Coding
Correct answer: Vocabulary
Vocabulary is considered a hold test relatively resistant to brain injury, making it a common estimate of premorbid intellectual functioning.
Question 2: In a WAIS-IV profile, which pattern of scores is MOST consistent with an acquired right hemisphere lesion?
- Depressed VCI with intact PRI
- Depressed PRI with relatively intact VCI (Correct answer)
- Equally depressed VCI and PRI
- Elevated Processing Speed with depressed VCI
Correct answer: Depressed PRI with relatively intact VCI
Right hemisphere lesions typically impair visuospatial and perceptual abilities (PRI) while sparing verbal abilities (VCI).
Question 3: When interpreting WAIS-IV results for treatment planning in psychotherapy, which index is MOST relevant to a client's ability to follow complex verbal instructions from a therapist?
- Processing Speed Index
- Perceptual Reasoning Index
- Verbal Comprehension Index (Correct answer)
- Working Memory Index
Correct answer: Verbal Comprehension Index
The Verbal Comprehension Index reflects the ability to understand and use verbal information, directly relevant to following complex verbal instructions.
Question 4: A researcher uses WAIS-IV scores to study cognitive aging across a lifespan sample. Which index typically shows the steepest decline with normal aging?
- Verbal Comprehension Index
- Working Memory Index
- Processing Speed Index (Correct answer)
- General Ability Index
Correct answer: Processing Speed Index
Processing Speed shows the most pronounced decline with normal aging, consistent with the literature on cognitive slowing.
Question 5: An examiner administers the WAIS-IV and obtains a valid FSIQ. When writing the psychological report, which statement BEST reflects appropriate score interpretation?
- The client's IQ is exactly 112
- The client obtained an FSIQ of 112, which falls in the High Average range (90th percentile) with a 95% confidence interval of 108–116 (Correct answer)
- The client is smarter than 79% of adults
- The FSIQ of 112 means the client can complete most jobs successfully
Correct answer: The client obtained an FSIQ of 112, which falls in the High Average range (90th percentile) with a 95% confidence interval of 108–116
Best practice requires reporting the obtained score, classification range, percentile, and confidence interval to convey measurement precision.
Question 6: Which WAIS-IV subtest pair forms the basis of the Arithmetic supplemental subtest's clinical value in attention and concentration assessment?
- It measures long-term memory retrieval efficiency
- It requires mental arithmetic under time pressure, taxing attention and working memory simultaneously (Correct answer)
- It primarily measures verbal reasoning and vocabulary
- It assesses visual-spatial planning and sequencing
Correct answer: It requires mental arithmetic under time pressure, taxing attention and working memory simultaneously
Arithmetic taps both numerical knowledge and working memory by requiring mental calculation without paper under timed conditions.
Question 7: A clinician is assessing a 70-year-old adult with WAIS-IV. Which consideration is MOST important when interpreting the Processing Speed Index for this individual?
- PSI scores are unaffected by age and require no special consideration
- Motor slowing and visual changes in older adults may contribute to lower PSI scores independent of cognitive decline (Correct answer)
- Lower PSI always indicates dementia in adults over 65
- PSI is the most stable index across the lifespan and reflects crystallized intelligence
Correct answer: Motor slowing and visual changes in older adults may contribute to lower PSI scores independent of cognitive decline
In older adults, motor slowing, sensory changes, and test-taking speed can artificially lower PSI scores beyond what reflects purely cognitive decline.
WAIS Applications 3
A clinician wants to estimate premorbid intellectual functioning in a patient with traumatic brain injury.
Which WAIS-IV subtest score is MOST commonly used as an estimate of pre-injury ability?