The predictive utility of a significantly lower WAIS PIQ with psychiatric inpatients

Contrasted five aspects of psychiatric inpatient care in two psychometrically distinct inpatient samples. The experimental (N = 35) and control groups (N = 35) differed in that the former Ss all scored higher WAIS VIQs than their respective PIQs by at least 15 units. The controls had WAIS VIQs that were within 5 points of their PIQs . Despite this, the two groups were not differentiated according to two other measures of cognitive integrity (Benton, 1963, and Wechsler Memory Scale, Wechsler, 1958); final diagnosis; severity of the S's presentation; capacity to resume self-attorney on discharge, and, finally, prediction of EEG and CT scan result. It was concluded that the poor predictive utility of this form of WAIS analysis did not justify the high cost of WAIS administration in inpatient psychiatric settings.