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Wechsler Block Design
Availability
Please visit these websites for more information about the instrument: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children website
Classification
Supplemental: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Short Description of Instrument
The Block Design subtest is part of the assessment for performance IQ, which yields an IQ between 40 and 160 (M=100, SD=15).
 
Administration: The tests are individually administered and completed by paper-and- pencil. Individuals qualified to use the instrument would have a doctorate in psychology, education, or a related field.
 
Scores: FSIQ, Index Scores (Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, Processing Speed), and Subtest Scaled Scores. The Index Scores can be used to examine specific areas of cognitive impairment/strength/preservation.
 
Scoring Options: Scoring Assistant® software, Report Writer software, or hand scoring
Report Options: Score, Client, and Interpretive.
 
Software Available: Yes
 
Publication Date: WISC-IV was published in 2003 and WISC-V revision available in Fall 2014. WPPSI-III was published in 2002; WPPSI-IV was published in 2012.
 
Ages / Grades: Children 2:6 to 7:3 can complete the WPPSI-III and children 6-16 can complete the WISC-IV.
 
Psychometric Properties: See link below for specific data; Wechsler tests are the most widely used, "gold standard" instrument for testing intellectual functioning. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV Technical Report #2
Comments
There is a Wechsler test covering every age group and therefore could be useful in longitudinal studies and studies comparing patients across age groups. The updated WISC-V is more analogous to the most recent update of the WAIS-IV (adult version of the Wechsler Test), making longitudinal comparison easier. The Wechsler scales are the most common tests of general cognitive abilities.
 
The primary advantage of the WPPSI-III includes the comprehensiveness of the assessment, which includes measures of working memory and processing speed in addition to verbal and non-verbal measures. Thus, normative performances on domain-specific WPPSI-III subtests can be characterized relative to each other based upon formal difference scores derived from WPPSI-III normative sample. In addition, the tests and scale itself is a downward extension of the WISC, which is a CDE for older children. Thus, using tests in the same family facilitates longer term longitudinal studies in which children may cross age thresholds for test administration.
 
There is no formal short form of the WPPSI-III. Researchers wishing a use short form may generate FSIQ estimates derived from either 2-subtest (Vocabulary, Matrix Reasoning) or 4-subtest (Vocabulary, Similarities, Block Design, Matrix Reasoning) combinations. This test selection corresponds to the 2- and 4-subtest combinations for the WASI. There is no Spanish version of the test.
References
Wechsler related bibliography across study populations: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV bibliography across study populations
 
WPPSI-IV validity studies with various diagnostic groups: Pearson Clinical Website
 
Wechsler D. Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, 3rd edition administration manual. Pearson Assessments: San Antonio, TX, 2002.
 
Wechsler D. WISC-IV Administration Manual. Pearson Assessments: San Antonio, TX, 2003a.
 
Wechsler D. WISC-IV Technical and Interpretive Manual. Pearson Assessments: San Antonio, TX, 2003b.
 
Prigatano G, Gray J. (2008a). Predictors of performance on three developmentally sensitive neuropsychological tests in children with and without traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj. 2008a;22(6):491-500.
 
Prigatano G, Gray J, Gale S. (2008b). Individual case analysis of processing speed difficulties in children with and without traumatic brain injury. Clin Neuropsychol. 2008b;22(4):603-619.

 

Document last updated July 2019