WAIS Working Memory Index (WMI) 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Research on the WAIS WMI consistently shows that working memory capacity is strongly related to which broader cognitive ability?
- Processing speed only
- General intelligence (g) (Correct answer)
- Long-term memory consolidation
- Motor coordination
Correct answer: General intelligence (g)
Working memory is one of the strongest correlates of general intelligence, reflecting fluid reasoning and attentional control.
Question 2: An examinee with ADHD is most likely to show a characteristic pattern on the WAIS WMI of:
- Uniformly elevated scores across all subtests
- Depressed WMI relative to other index scores (Correct answer)
- WMI higher than Verbal Comprehension Index
- No meaningful difference from neurotypical profiles
Correct answer: Depressed WMI relative to other index scores
ADHD is associated with deficits in attentional control and working memory, typically producing a lower WMI relative to other WAIS index scores.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the role of the phonological loop during Digit Span Forward?
- It visually encodes each digit as a symbol
- It rehearses auditory-verbal sequences to maintain them briefly (Correct answer)
- It transfers information to long-term semantic memory
- It filters irrelevant distractors from the central executive
Correct answer: It rehearses auditory-verbal sequences to maintain them briefly
The phonological loop maintains verbal sequences through subvocal rehearsal, which is the primary mechanism in Digit Span Forward.
Question 4: In WAIS-IV standardization data, what is the approximate average raw Digit Span Forward score for adults aged 25–34?
- 4–5 digits
- 6–7 digits (Correct answer)
- 8–9 digits
- 10–12 digits
Correct answer: 6–7 digits
Normative data show most adults in this age range can correctly repeat sequences of approximately 6–7 digits forward.
Question 5: A low WMI score alongside an average Processing Speed Index (PSI) in a WAIS profile most strongly implicates difficulties in:
- Motor output speed
- Active attentional control and mental manipulation (Correct answer)
- Perceptual discrimination
- Long-term semantic retrieval
Correct answer: Active attentional control and mental manipulation
When PSI is intact but WMI is low, the deficit is specific to effortful working memory operations rather than general speed.
Question 6: Letter-Number Sequencing items become progressively harder on the WAIS by:
- Introducing unfamiliar letters from other alphabets
- Increasing the total number of elements in the sequence (Correct answer)
- Requiring simultaneous visual and auditory tracking
- Asking the examinee to write responses instead of speaking
Correct answer: Increasing the total number of elements in the sequence
Difficulty increases as more letters and numbers are added to each sequence, placing greater demands on working memory capacity.
Question 7: Which population group typically shows the steepest age-related decline in WAIS WMI scores according to normative data?
- Adults aged 25–34
- Adults aged 45–54
- Adults aged 65–74
- Adults aged 75 and older (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Adults aged 75 and older
Working memory shows accelerating decline in the oldest age brackets, with adults 75+ showing the steepest normative drop on WMI.
WAIS Working Memory Index (WMI) 3
Research on the WAIS WMI consistently shows that working memory capacity is strongly related to which broader cognitive ability?