Intellectual Ability as a Predictor of Performance on the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between intelligence and executive functioning in youth. More specifically, the authors hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition General Ability Index (GAI) and understanding of sorting principles as measured by percent conceptual-level responses on the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test (WCST). One hundred eighty-five children and adolescents completed neuropsychological evaluations. Results revealed a curvilinear regression with bright youth (GAI = 115-129) and gifted youth (GAI ≥130) performing better than average youth (GAI = 90-114) and no difference in performance between bright and gifted youth. Additionally, post-hoc analyses revealed intelligence in children 5 to 8 years of age and 12 to 16 years of age did not significantly predict percent conceptual-level responses, while intelligence predicted more than 19% of the variance in percent conceptual-level responses for children ages 9 to 11 years old. Findings revealed new evidence about the role of intellectual ability in executive functioning among different age ranges and have important implications for psychologists, caregivers, educators, and other professionals working with this population.

Performance of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in five-year-old children in Taiwan: Relationship to intelligence and cognitive development

“…The percent conceptual level response index of the WCST was associated with the cognitive domain of the TBCS-DI, and the VIQ and PIQ of the WPPSI-R. This is in line with previous studies which found intelligence predicted more than 19% of the variance in percent conceptual level response for children ages nine to 11 years old [ 26 ]. Although previous studies have found inconsistent results in the relationship between the performance of WCST and IQ [ 7 , 11 – 13 ].…”

Executive Functioning in Children and Adolescents Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol: A Meta-Analytic Review

“…Some research has also failed to find an association between IQ and performance on set shifting tasks such as the Trail Making Test (Ardila et al 2000) or the WCST (Boone et al 1993). In contrast, research studies with children with average, above average, or superior IQ, demonstrate a moderating effect of IQ on shift perseverative errors on the WCST (Arffa 2007;Tanabe et al 2014). The nonsignificant effect found in the literature and in this meta-analysis might be related to the complexity of set shifting tasks as well as the limited IQ range of FASD samples.…”

An evidenced-based perspective on the validity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the context of high intelligence

“…Many studies have substantial methodological limitations including lacking appropriate control groups, small sample sizes, positively biased selection of highly intelligent participants, and/or no consideration of age effects. With these caveats in mind, high intelligence seems to be associated with at least average but mostly superior processing speed (Duan et al, 2013;Hoard et al, 2008;Swanson, 2006), visuoconstructive skills and visual memory (Arffa, 2007), sustained attention (Shi et al, 2013), working memory capacity (Hoard et al, 2008;Swanson, 2006), response inhibition (Liu et al, 2011a,b;Duan et al, 2009), interference control (Arffa, 2007;Liu et al, 2011c;Johnson et al, 2003), set shifting (Arffa, 2007;Duan and Shi, 2014;Johnson et al, 2003) and reversal learning (Arffa et al, 1998;Arffa, 2007;Tanabe et al, 2014). Given this inverse relationship between the cognitive correlates of ADHD and high intelligence, the gap between cognitive subcomponents/subskills and general intelligence appears largest in highly intelligent individuals with ADHD.…”