WAIS IQ Test Measures Capabilities and Mental Retardation...
Is there any connection?

WAIS IQ test is one of the most popular psychological tools being used to measure various capabilities in the candidates. You can be evaluated for your vocabulary, arithmetic, visual-spatial or emotional capabilities. The questions are selected from general knowledge, social awareness, mathematics, etc.  Your short-term memory can also be tested and compared with other candidates.

WAIS stands for Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. It can evaluate intelligence levels of people having age-range from 16 to 74 years old people. Two other Wechsler Scales are used to assess various capabilities in children. 

History of WAIS IQ test

David Wechsler introduced his first IQ test in 1939. It became very popular in a short period. He continued to improve it and finally, he replaced all old versions with a better scale in 1981. The battery was termed as Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. In 1997, it was standardized by putting it to various controlled age groups in the United States. This led to the birth of WAIS-III. Now some companies are using WAIS-IV and later versions. 

Standardization

The standardization process was impressive. The scale was divided into various subtests to be administered to 1800 people from the United States. The sample group was a representative set of men, women, white, black, rural and urban people with a ratio of 1981 Census. 

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale is a standardized IQ test. For that purpose the sub-tests were administered to 1800 USA citizens. The sample group was representative set of men, women, white, black, rural and urban population as per 1981 census. Other representative considerations were also taken into account. After calculating their results, the ratings on the scale were identified.

Later on, psychologists of different countries customized WAIS under their cultural and linguistic preferences. Now adapted versions, such as Australian IQ tests, Spanish IQ Tests, and Chinese IQ tests, are available all over the world.

How do they work?

You can find WAIS intelligence tests on two main scales; verbal and performance. The verbal scale assesses six verbal capabilities. However, performance scale measures five performing abilities. 

Verbal IQ Test Scale

The verbal IQ test scale analyses your vocabulary, arithmetic, information, comprehension, and digit span capabilities and abstract conceptualization. The IQ test results heavily dependent upon your practice, skills, education, culture, socio-economic conditions and the current state of your mind.

1- Vocabulary

The WAIS IQ test identifies your comprehension of meanings and relations between the expressive words. It is your mental conception of a thing or situation that gives sense to the spoken or written words.

The Wechsler IQ test assumes that your native language is English. However, if English is not your native language or you differ from others in culture, you should try your customized scale. Education, experience, and lifestyle also contribute to better scoring in this sub-test.

2- Arithmetic

The WAIS IQ test offers simple arithmetic problems to identify your mental alertness. This sub-test is commonly called math IQ test when it is administered separately. It focuses on your attention, concentration and arithmetic reasoning. The questions are asked in a storytelling way, and you are invited to reason arithmetically to answer them.

Your education, vocation, and practice play a significant role in IQ test results. When you have daily life interaction with arithmetic or practice such puzzles and questions, you shall have better IQ than those who don’t have such opportunities.

3- Information

The WAIS IQ test measures your general knowledge with this sub-test. It focuses on your capability to understand simple information correctly. Culture, education, residence, and life-experience strongly influence your IQ test rating. The questions originate from a particular culture to know your general knowledge attainment.

4- Comprehension

The WAIS IQ test measures your social awareness and common-sense with this sub-test. It focuses on your social sense and your conception of cultural values. When such sub-test is prepared for the USA citizens, others may get low IQ scoring. Secondly, no candidate shall like to answer in a fashion that his society rejects. For example, you are asked about your reaction on finding a bag full of dollars. You may need that bag in your heart, but you shall like to answer as the society demands.

5- Digit Span

The WAIS IQ test assesses your short auditory memory, concentration, and attention with this subset. You are given digit strings and asked to repeat them first forward and then backward. When you are encountering this sub-set with full concentration, calmness and fresh mind, your IQ test rating shall boost. However, when you are in anxiety, tension or depression, your IQ test score shall fall considerably.

6- Similarities in Dissimilar Objects

The WAIS IQ test measures your abstract reasoning and power of conceptualization. You are given a set of apparently dissimilar objects to identify abstract similarities amongst them. This is also a culturally influenced test.

Performance IQ Test Scale

This main scale has five sub-tests which analyze different performing capabilities. The sub-tests include picture completion, picture arrangement, block design, digit symbols and objects assembly.

1- Picture Completion

The WAIS IQ test measures your visual perception by asking you to perform completion of a picture. You are given a set of nineteen pictures and are required to complete the story with the twentieth missing one. This sub-test measures your capability to visually separate essential details from unessential information. The complete set of pictures tells a reasonable story.

2- Picture Arrangement

The WAIS IQ tests measure your capability to understand social interaction through non-verbal skills. Your ability to find out arrangements and sequential order is also analyzed. You are offered a set of pictures and are asked to arrange them in a way that tells a story.

3- Block Design

The WAIS IQ tests measure your non-verbal reasoning by requiring you to organize blocks as per the given patterns on cards. The colorful blocks design tells how much performing reasoning you have.

4- Digit Symbols

The WAIS IQ tests measure your short term memory through this sub-test. You are given a key to match series of numbers or shapes. Your performance shows your capability to understand coding patterns. The psychiatrists use this sub-test to measure alertness of your visual nerves.

5- Object Assembly

This performance sub-test measures your visual spatial capabilities. It consists of four jigsaw puzzles to complete them. Parts are required to be converted into a whole. It is optional sub-test for a WAIS IQ test.

WAIS underlines that the both verbal and performance scales should be administered separately. When standard deviation between the both scales is 15 point, it is a normal phenomenon. However, if the standard deviation is more then further investigation into the subject is required. Without a prejudice and contempt, if you are going to encounter a WAIS session, you are at least average and at the maximum a super genius. The lower rating is for the mentally retarded people. And we don’t expect mentally retarded people, as per the WAISE intelligence rating, capable to read these pages.

Whatever your IQ test scores may be, you can develop your vocabulary, arithmetic and visual-spatial capabilities. Proper training may improve your general knowledge, social awareness, and short term memory. David Wechsler may be right that no amount of training can convert an idiot (mentally retarded person) to a mathematician. However, an average can win with persistence, focus and hard work.

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