Beta-WAIS comparisons with low functioning minority group offenders: a cautionary note

Investigated the utility of the Revised Beta as a screening device for low-functioning minority-group criminal offenders. Forty-seven black and Hispanic offenders who scored below 85 on the Beta were administered the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). Mean scores for this sample were correlated only mildly. Furthermore, the means were not comparable; these offenders scored lower on the Beta than on the WAIS. This finding contradicts prior research and creates the need for caution in using the Beta as a screening device with this population.