Specificity of the WAIS-R subtests with psychiatric inpatients

Subtest specificities were determined for each of the 11 WAIS-R subtests for a sample of 200 psychiatric inpatients. The subtest's shared variance (defined as the multiple squared correlation between a subtest and all remaining subtests) was subtracted from reliable variance (defined as the subtest's reliability) to yield a measure of subtest specificity. The Information, Arithmetic, Vocabulary, f1p4rehension, Similarities, Picture Arrangement, and Digit Symbol subtests were judged to have adequate to ample specificity for ipsative interpretation. The Object Assembly, Digit Span, Picture Completion, and Block Design subtests were judged to have inadequate specificity for ipsative interpretation. Implications for the interpretation of WAIS-R results with psychiatric inpatients are discussed.