9 | Intellectual & Neurological Assessment

intelligence tests

psychological tests that measure a client’s intellectual abilities

intelligence

aptitude or intellect, may or may not include speed of mental processing, sensory capacity, abstract thinking, imagination, adaptability, capacity to learn through experience, memory, reasoning, or inhibition of instinct

charles spearman

early 1900s, believed intelligence is a singular characteristic

g

general intelligence, represented a person’s global, overall intellectual ability

s

specific intelligences that may or may not correlate with one another, Spearman argued that they played a minor role in intelligence

louis thurstone

argued that intelligence should not be understood as a single, unified ability but as numerous distinct abilities that have little relationship to one another, believed intelligence is many things, pioneer of the statistical procedure multiple factor analysis,

hierarchical model of intelligence

specific abilities play an important role but are all at least somewhat related to one another and to a global, general intelligence, Spearman and Thurstone compromised and settled on this

james cattell

proposed separate fluid and crystallized intelligences

fluid intelligence

ability to reason when faced with novel problems

crystallized intelligence

body of knowledge one has accumulated as a result of life experiences

john carroll

developed three-stratum theory of intelligence

three-stratum theory of intelligence

theory that intelligence operates at three levels: a single “g” at the top, 8 broad factors immediately beneath “g”, and more than 60 highly specific abilities beneath these broad factors

cattell-horn-carroll theory of intelligence

theory of intelligence that combines elements of Cattell’s, Horn’s, and Carroll’s theories in which abilities are arranged as broad and specific factors, and which has become prominent in recent years, features 16 broad cognitive abilities that collectively include 80 highly specific abilities

wechsler adult intelligence scale

current edition of a prominent intelligence test for adults, officially published in 2008, age range 16-90

wechsler intelligence scale for children

published in 2014, age range 6-16

wechsler preschool and primary scale for intelligence

published in 2012, age range between 2 years and 6 months to 7 years and 3 months

verbal comprehension index

measure of verbal concept formation and verbal reasoning

perceptual reasoning index

measure of fluid reasoning, spatial processing, and visual-motor integration

working memory index

measure of the capacity to store, transform, and recall incoming info and data in short-term memory

processing speed index

measure of the ability to process simple or rote info rapidly and accurately

vocabulary

orally explaining the meaning of a word

similarities

orally explain how two things or concepts are alike

information

orally answer questions focusing on specific items of general knowledge

comprehension

orally answer questions about general social principles and social situations

block design

re-create a specific pattern or design of colored blocks

picture comprehension

view a picture of a simple object or scene and identify the important part that is missing

matrix reasoning

view an incomplete matrix and select the missing portion from multiple choices provided

coding

using pencil and paper, repeatedly copy simple shapes/symbols in appropriate spaces according to a key provided

symbol search

scan a group of visual shapes/symbols to determine if target shapes/symbols appear in group

standford-binet intelligence scales

administered face-to-face and one-to-one, hierarchical model of intelligence and yields a singular measure of full-scale IQ, five factor scores, specific subtest scores

fluid reasoning

ability to solve novel problems

knowledge

general info accumulated over time via personal experiences including education, home, and environment

quantitative reasoning

ability to solve numerical problems

visual-spatial reasoning

ability to analyze visually presented info, including relationships between objects, spatial orientation, assembling pieces to make a whole, and detecting visual patterns

working memory

ability to hold and transform info in short-term memory

cultural fairness

extent to which an intelligence test is based on universal rather than culture-specific concepts or methods

universal nonverbal intelligence test

published in 2015, ages 5-21, requires no speaking or shared understanding of language between person administering and person taking the test, examiner presents instructions via eight specific hand gestures

object memory

examinee views a visual assortment of common objects for 5 seconds and then views a larger array of objects from the first array

spatial memory

examinee recalls the placement of colored chips in a specific three-dimensional design

mazes

examinee complete traditional maze puzzles

analogic reasoning

examinee solves analogy problems that are presented visually rather than verbally

achievement

what a person has accomplished, especially in academic settings

specific learning disorder

diagnosis based primarily on the level of academic achievement falling significantly lower below expected levels of achievement for people of the same age

psychological report

after psychologists conduct tests in intelligence or achievement, they explain their findings in a report, formal means by which they communicate their findings to others

wechsler individual achievement test

comprehensive achievement test for individuals 4-50 years of age, administered face-to-face and one-to-one, 20 subtests, has a dyslexia index, normed by age

neuropsychological tests

intent to measure cognitive functioning or impairment of the brain and its specific components or structures, can indicate how the brain is actually functioning, useful for targeted assessment of problems that result from injury, substance use, or degenerative brain illness

neuropsychological assessment anxiety

experience in which clients’ performance on tests is influenced by the anxiety in the moment

halstead-reitan neuropsychological battery

popular, comprehensive battery of 8 standardized neuropsychological tests, suitable for clients 15+ with alternate versions for individuals younger, administered as a whole battery, thorough but lengthy, purpose is to identify people with brain damage and provide detailed info or hypotheses about any brain damage identified, including specific cognitive impairments or physiological regions of the brain that may be deficient

luria-nebraska neuropsychological battery

comprehensive battery of 12 scales, emphasis on qualitative data rather than quantitative, relies on written comments from the examiner about the testing process, briefer

nepsy-ii

battery designed for children 3-16 years old, includes 32 subtests across six categories

bender visual-motor gestalt test

neuropsychological screen where clients are asked to copy simple geometric designs, measures visuoconstructive abilities, brief, for ages 3 and up, published in 1938

rey-osterrieth complex figure test

screen involving the reproduction of a single, complex geometric figure, published in 1941, also requires the participant to copy the shape again 3-60 mins after

repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status

focuses on a broader ranger of abilities including visuomotor abilities, verbal skills, attention, and visual memory, includes 12 subtests

wechsler memory scale

scale of visual and auditory memory involving both immediate and delayed recall, often used for neuropsychological purposes, used for individuals 16-90 who are suspected to have memory problems