Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale -3rd Ed; WAIS-III

Expanded and updated norms, new improved psychometric properties, and updated stimuli are just a few of the many benefits of the newly revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale®—Third Edition (WAIS®–III). Based on one of the most comprehensive standardization samples ever, WAIS–III scales have been co-normed with the new Wechsler Memory Scale®—Third Edition (WMS®–III) to help you examine the important relationship between intellectual functioning and memory.

Expanded, Updated Norms
One of the primary goals of the revision was to develop new norms on a contemporary sample. In addition to being current, the norms also reflect an expanded age range for adults 74 through 89 years of age, reflecting the increased average life expectancy.

Minimal Retraining 
The focus was on improvements to the well-known features of this scale rather than on redesign. If you are trained to use WAIS–R®, you will find the transition to WAIS–III easy.

Improved Materials and Content
Item content, artwork, and materials have been improved and updated. Extensive item bias analyses were performed to eliminate biased items. Also, enlarged visual stimuli make the items easier for examinees with decreased visual acuity.

Less Testing Time
Administration time was reduced, and supplementary subtests were added to increase diagnostic utility.

Enhanced Testing for Lower-Functioning Examinees
WAIS–III has extended floors for most subtests, enhancing specificity in testing individuals who have lower cognitive functioning.

Three New Subtests
WAIS–III includes the 11 subtests from WAIS–R and 3 new subtests: Matrix Reasoning, Symbol Search, and Letter-Number Sequencing.

• Matrix Reasoning—A traditional type of nonverbal task where the examinee looks at a picture of geometric shapes and either names or points to the correct answer from five response options.

• Letter-Number Sequencing—A series of orally presented letters and numbers that are presented in a mixed-up order. The examinee must reorder and repeat the list by saying the numbers first in ascending order and then the letters in alphabetical order.


• Symbol Search—A series of paired groups, each pair consisting of a target group and a search group. The examinee indicates, by marking the appropriate box, whether either target symbol appears in the search group.

Validity, Clinical Studies
Validation studies include correlations between WAIS–III and WMS–III, WAIS–R, WISC–III,® WIAT,® Stanford Binet—Fourth Edition, and Raven's Progressive Matrices. WAIS–III (and WMS–III) clinical group studies included adults with clinical diagnoses of mental retardation, hearing impairments, reading disabilities, math disabilities, attention-deficit disorder, schizophrenia, closed-head injury, chronic alcoholism, Huntington's chorea, Korsakoff's syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.