Comparison of WISC-R and WISC-IV Intelligence Scores in Gifted Children

Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-Revised (WISC-R) has been widely used in identifying or assessing gifted children. In our country, WISC-IV, which is the fourth version of Wechsler intelligence scales, will be in use soon. In this respect, it is important to assess both efficiency of WISC-IV in identifying gifted children and to determine the possible score differences between WISC-R and WISC-IV. The purpose of the present study is to compare WISC-R and WISC-IV scores of gifted children. WISC-IV was administered to 50 children who were identified as gifted by WISC-R. The findings of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences between WISC-R Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ)/WISC-IV FSIQ and WISC-R Performance IQ/WISC-IV Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI). Accordingly, gifted children had higher scores on WISC-R than WISC-IV. In terms of comparable subtest scores, they had also higher scores on WISC-R Similarities, Block Design and Coding subtests compared to WISC-IV's same subtests, except for the Vocabulary subtest. The correlation analysis revealed that there were significant relationships between WISC-R and WISC-IV composite and index scores and that both of these versions tested the same constructions. Administering WISC-IV for gifted identification, practitioners should consider some subtest or composite score differences compared to its previous version.