Test-retest evaluation of a four-subtest WAIS-R short form with young offenders

The validity of a four-subtest short form (SF4) of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) was evaluated in a sample of incarcerated Caucasian and Native youth 16 to 18 years of age. A test-retest methodology was used in which 21 subjects received SF4 first and 26 subjects received the full WAIS-R first. Results showed that SF4 has validity as an estimate of Full Scale IQ, but with accuracy limitations. In addition to the IQ overestimates and misclassification rates that have been found in other short form research, this study showed that a large overestimate of about 11 points occurred on average when SF4 followed the standard administration.