Three theoretical interpretations of the WISC4, and more.

Flanagan, D. P., Ortiz, S. O., Alfonso, V. C. & Dynda, A. (2014). Cognitive Assessment: Progress in Psychometric Theories, the Structure of Cognitive Tests, and Approaches to Test Interpretation. In D. Saklofske, V. Schwean, & C. Reynolds (Eds.), Oxford handbook of psychological assessment of children and adolescents. New York: Oxford University Press. http://static.squarespace.com/static/53f6762ae4b02e1724aa7c77/t/542e1e62e4b0bfd43274ee36/1412308578489/Flanagan_et_al_in_Saklofske.pdf

This chapter reviews the development of intelligence theories and especially psychometric approaches.  It also reviews the changes made to intelligence tests according to the theoretical developments, and mentions the current efforts to link psychometric approaches and cognitive theories.

Flanagan and her colleagues also write about the relations between cognitive abilities and reading, writing and math.

One thing I've learned from reading about cognitive-achievement relations is that  findings about the relations between cognitive abilities and reading, writing and math are dependent upon the specific tests used to measure reading, writing, math and the cognitive abilities.  That's why the conclusions that can be drawn from studies are often limited to the specific tests used in them.  If, for instance, reading comprehension is measured by tests that don't require making inferences from the text, there's no wonder that no relation is found between reading comprehension and fluid ability.

The XBA – CROSS BATTERY ANALYSIS approach developed by Flanagan and her colleagues is reviewed towards the end of the chapter.   These researchers classified more than 700 tests and subtests according to the CHC broad and narrow abilities they measure.  The classification was done according to research results and  expert consensus.  When the intelligence test being used in an assessment  does not measure certain CHC abilities, the XBA approach delineates a way to assess these abilities (by using tests classified as measuring these abilities from other intelligence tests), according to specific rules.

One interesting thing I found in this chapter is a suggested classification of WISC4 subtests in three ways:  according to the Luria theory (PASS – PLANNING, ATTENTION, SIMULTANEOUS, SUCCESSIVE), according to neuropsychological domains (sensory – motor, speed and efficiency, attention, visual-spatial and detail, auditory verbal, memory and learning, executive functions and language), and according to broad and narrow CHC abilities.  The classification according to neuropsychological domains is based on neuropsychological texts the authors read.

More on PASS theory and it's manifestations in KABC test can be found in the presentation "a very brief introduction to intelligence theories" – the first of the presentation series "intelligence and cognitive abilities" found in the right hand column of this blog.  In this presentation you'll also find an analysis of the KABC test from cognitive and psychometric points of view, and Woodcock, Schneider and McGrew's suggestions for combining psychometric and cognitive theories.