Intelligence Scores of Gifted Students on the WISC-R

Abstract

In order to examine the hypothesis that children identified as "gifted" may have different patterns of scores on the WISC-R than children not identified as "gifted", the present study examined the WISC-R scores of three groups of children: those scoring in the average range, those with high IQ's, and those identified as "gifted." Factor analysis conducted on a sample of children identified as "gifted" yielded a four-factor solution accounting for approximately 65% of the total variance: Perceptual Organization, Verbal Comprehension, Acquisition of Knowledge, and Spatial Memory. Analyses of groups of children with average and above average intelligence scores revealed two-and three-factor solutions for the average children, but a pattern similar to the gifted child for the high IQ group. Results suggest that gifted children process information in a qualitatively different manner from average children.

Testing: Exploring the WISC‐III as a measure of giftedness∗

“…They also found that scaled score values lower than 10 occurred within the highest IQ groups, 130+ and 140+, for three subtests: Digit Span, Object Assembly, and Coding. Brown and Yakimowski (1987) found higher verbal than performance IQs for both the identified gifted and the high IQ groups, whereas the average ability subjects did not show evidence of verbal/performance IQ differences. Their analysis of WISC-R patterns revealed more complex factor analysis solutions for the gifted and high IQ subsamples than for the average ability group.…”

“…Similarities, Comprehension, and Vocabulary each require strong verbal skills and language development which are clearly recognized characteristics of intellectually gifted children (Clark, 1991). C oding has often been reported as the lowest score for gifted children (Brown & Yakimowski, 1987;Malone et al, 1991;Hollinger & Kosek, 1986;Kaufman, 1979;Wilkinson, 1993), and to have the greatest variability along with Digit Span and Object Assembly (Patchett & Stansfield, 1992). This study likewise found Coding to have significant deviation among subjects in the gifted sample.…”

“…Characteristic patterns of IQ subtests were previously documented on the WISC-R and its predecessor, the WISC, for children in the superior range (Brown & Yakimowski, 1987;Silver & Clampit, 1990;Webb & Dyer, 1993;Wilkinson, 1993). With this in mind, the purpose of this study was to discover whether characteristic subtest patterns also appear on WISC-III scores for gifted children and, if so, to determine whether such patterns differ from those of average ability students.…”

“…Thus, these are not at all "rare" occurrences in the gifted population (Silver & Clampit, 1990). M oreover, gifted children often showed considerable deviation among their subtest scores on the WISC-R (Brown & Yakimowski, 1987;Hollinger & Kosek, 1986;Patchett & Stansfield, 1992;Wilkinson, 1993). Webb and Dyer (1993) found that such scatter only occurred in the gifted children in their sample who were younger than 10 years.…”

Factor structure of the WISC‐R for Mexican‐American students referred for intellectually gifted assessment

“…Kaufman (1975) found these three factors to be consistent across 11 age levels between 6 1/2 and 16 1/2. Some research has indicated the factor solution of the WISC-R may be substantially different for gifted students (Brown, Hwang, Baron, & Yakimowski, 1991;Brown & Rood, 1982;Brown & Yakimowski, 1987). The factor structure of the WISC-R has also been examined in different groups of Mexican-Americans.…”