Cognitive Evaluation: Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV)

Overview

The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV; Wechsler, 2012) is an individually administered, standardized instrument for assessing the intelligence of children aged 2 years, 6 months through 3 years, 7 months. It includes short, game-like tasks that engage young children. The WPPSI-IV provides a Full Scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, and Working Memory for ages 2 years, 6 months and 3 years, 11 months. For ages four months and 3 years, 7 months, the WPPSI-IV provides a Full Scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning, Working memory, and Processing Speed. Ancillary subtests may be given to obtain additional scores for Vocabulary Acquisition, Nonverbal, and General Ability (for all ages) and Cognitive Proficiency (for older children).

The WPPSI-IV is a substantial improvement from its predecessor, the WPPSI-II (Soares, & McCrimmon, 2013). The newer version has omitted four of the original subtests, added five new subtests, and modified the contents of the five subtests that were retained (Watkins, 2013)

Summary

Name of Tool/Author (Year) / Age Range* / Method of Administration/Format / Approximate Time to Administer / Subscales
Wechsler Preschool and
Primary Scales of
Intelligence –
Fourth Edition / 2 yrs., 6 mos. and
7 yrs., 7
mos. / Individually administerednorm-referencedmeasure of intelligence,clinician-administered;13 subtests in all,including lower-levelsubtests designated forchildren 2.6 and 3.11years oldYields subtest scaledscores, standard scores, percentiles. / Ages 2.6 and
3.11: 30–45
min.
Ages 0.4 and
7.7.:
45–60
min. / Verbal Comprehension (Information,Similarities, Vocabulary Comprehension);Visual Spatial (Block Design, Object Assembly); Fluid Reasoning (Matrix Reasoning, Picture Concepts);Working Memory (Picture Memory,Zoo Locations); Processing Speed (Bug Search, Cancellation, Animal Coding)
Ancillary Index Scales:(ages 2.6 and 3.11)
Vocabulary Acquisition, Nonverbal, and
General Ability
(ages 0.4 and 7.7) VocabularyAcquisition, Nonverbal, General Ability, and Cognitive Proficiency
(WPPSI-IV)
Wechsler (2012)

*In years and months Availability: Pearson Assessment

Research

Author (Year) / Age Range* / Sample Size / Topic Addressed / Outcome
Watkins & Beaujean / 2.6–7.7 / 1,700 / Confirmatory factor analyses of normative sample / The bifactor model fit the WPPSI-IV normative sample data as well as or better than the higher-order models favored by Wechsler (2012). These results suggest that only the general intelligence dimension was sufficiently robust and precise for clinical use.

*In years and months

References

Soares, M. A., & McCrimmon, A. W. (2013). Review of Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition: Canadian. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 28(4), 345–351. doi:10.1177/0829573513497343

Watkins, M. W., & Beaujean, A. A. (2014). Bifactor Structure of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – Fourth Edition. School Psychology Quarterly, 29(1), 52–63. doi:10.1037/spq0000038

Wechsler, D. (2012). Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence (4thed.) (WPPSI-IV). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.