Dr. Woocock's Evolution of Cognitive Assessments

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Evolution of the Assessment of Cognitive Functions

July 10, 2008

Richard W. WoodcockUniversity of Southern California

Third National SchoolNeuropsychology Conference

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Main Topics

1. How has our conceptualization of cognitive ability evolved over the past century?

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Main Topics


2. How well have intelligence batteries adapted to these changes?

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Main Topics


2. How well have intelligence batteries adapted to these changes?

3. What are the next challenges for test developers and users?

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Path of Progress

Better Cognitive

Theory

Better Cognitive

Tests

Better Information

Better Instructionaland Clinical

Planning

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SingleGeneralAbility

Conceptualizations of Intelligence

Evolution of Intelligence TestsEvolution of Intelligence Tests

Single General Ability

SB SB L,M

1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

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Pairof

Abilities



1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Pair of Abilities WB WISC WAIS WISC-R

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Pairof

Abilities

LimitedSet ofBroad

Abilities



1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Incomplete Set of Abilities

WJ SB IV

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Pairof

Abilities

LimitedSet ofBroad

Abilities

“Complete”Set ofBroad

Abilities



1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

“Complete” Set of Broad Abilities

WJ-R

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Nine Broad CHC Factors

Stores of Acquired Knowledge• Comprehension-Knowledge (Gc)• Reading-Writing (Grw)• Mathematics (Gq)

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Comprehension-Knowledge (Gc)

The breadth and depth of knowledge including verbal communication, information, and reasoning when using previously learned procedures.

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Reading-Writing (Grw)

An ability in areas common to both reading and writing. Probably includes basic reading and writing skills, and the skills required for comprehension and expression .

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Quantitative Knowledge (Gq)

The ability to comprehend quantitative concepts and relationships, the facility to manipulate numerical symbols.

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Thinking Abilities• Long-Term Retrieval (Glr)• Visual-Spatial Thinking (Gv)• Auditory Processing (Ga)• Fluid Reasoning (Gf)

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Long-Term Retrieval (Glr)

The ability to store information efficiently and retrieve it later.

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Visual-Spatial Thinking (Gv)

Spatial orientation, the ability to analyze and synthesize visual stimuli, and the ability to hold and manipulate mental images.

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Auditory Processing (Ga)

The ability to discriminate, analyze, and synthesize auditory stimuli.

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Fluid Reasoning (Gf)

The ability to reason and solve problems that often involve unfamiliar information or procedures. Manifested in the reorganization, transformation, and extrapolation of information.

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Thinking Abilities• Long-Term Retrieval (Glr)• Visual-Spatial Thinking (Gv)• Auditory Processing (Ga)• Fluid Reasoning (Gf)

Cognitive Efficiency• Processing Speed (Gs)• Short-Term Memory (Gsm)

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Processing Speed (Gs)

Speed and efficiency in performing automatic or very simple cognitive tasks.

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Short-Term Memory (Gsm)

The ability to hold information in immediate awareness and then use it within a few seconds.

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Pairof

Abilities

LimitedSet ofBroad

Abilities


Abilities

NarrowAbilities

UnderlyingBroad

Abilities



Narrow Abilities Underlying Broad Abilities

WJ III

1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

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Comprehension-Knowledge (Gc)General information (K0)Listening ability (LS)Language development (LD)Lexical knowledge (VL)Language comprehension (V)Oral production and fluency (OP)Information about culture (K2)

Examples of Narrow Abilities

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General (verbal) information (K0)

“Where would you usually find a ___________?”

“What would people usually do with a ______________?”

K0: A Narrow Gc Ability

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Listening ability (LS)

Task:

Listen to a sentence or two and provide an appropriate final word.

LS: A Narrow Gc Ability

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Reading-Writing (Grw)Spelling ability (SG)Cloze ability (CZ)Reading decoding (RD)Reading comprehension (RC)Reading speed (RS)Writing ability (WA)English usage knowledge (EU)


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Quantitative Knowledge (Gq)

Mathematical achievement (A3)Mathematical knowledge (KM)


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Long-Term Retrieval (Glr)

Associative memory (MA)Ideational fluency (FI)Naming facility (NA)Meaningful memory (MM)Figural fluency (FF)


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Ideational fluency (FI)

“How many different vehicles can you name? You will have one minute. Say the names as fast as you can.

FI: A Narrow Glr Ability

(Not actual test item.)

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Naming facility (NA)

“Tell me the names of these pictures as fast as you can.”

NA: A Narrow Glr Ability

(Not actual test items.)

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Auditory Processing (Ga)

Speech-sound discrimination (US)General sound discrimination (U3)Resistance to auditory stimulus distortion (UR)Phonetic coding (PC)Attention and concentration (AC)Maintaining and judging rhythm (U8)Memory for sound patterns (UM)Musical discrimination and judgment (U1, U9)


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US: A Narrow (Ga) Ability

Speech sound discrimination (US)

(trees) (keys) (peas)

“Point to keys.”


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PC: A Narrow Ga Ability

Phonetic coding (PC)

/d/ - /o/ - /g/

/b/ - /a/ - /s/ - /k/ - /i/ - /t/


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Visual-Spatial Thinking (Gv)

Spatial relations (SR)Flexibility of closure (CF)Visualization (Vz)Closure speed (CS)Length estimation (LE)Visual memory (MV)Spatial scanning (SS)


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Fluid Reasoning (Gf)

General sequential reasoning (RG)Quantitative reasoning (RQ)Induction (I)


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RG: A Narrow Gf Ability

General sequential reasoning (RG)

4 3 2 ___

36 27 18 ___

14 14 10 6 6 ___


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Processing Speed (Gs)

Perceptual speed (P)Semantic processing speed (R4)Writing speed (WS)Rate of test taking (R9)Number facility (N)


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P: A Narrow Gs Ability

Perceptual speed (P)

a e c a d f

bc af st qr af al

srv srw svr swx ssr svr


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Short-Term Memory (Gsm)Memory span (MS)Working memory (WM)


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Working memory (WM)

“I am going to name some things and some numbers. After I say them, you say the things in the same order that I said them. Then you tell me the numbers in the same order that I said them.” goat….5….chair….3…..7….rug

WM: A Narrow Gsm Ability


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Sources of Information

• Expert clinicians

• Expert theoreticians

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Some Cross-Battery References

Alfonso, V., Flanagan, D. & Radwan, S. (2005). The impact of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll Theory on Test Development and Interpretation of Cognitive and Academic Abilities. In D. P. Flanagan and P. L. Harrison (Eds.) Contemporary Intellectual Assessment: Theories, Tests and Issues (pp. 185-202). New York: Guilford Press.

Flanagan, D., Ortiz, S. & Alfonso, V. (2007). Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment (Second Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Flanagan, D. P., Ortiz, S. O., Alfonso, V. C., & Mascolo, J. T. (2002). The achievement test desk reference (ATDR). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

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Some Cross-Battery References

Flanagan, D. P., & McGrew, K. S. (1997). A cross-battery approach to assessing and interpreting cognitive abilities: Narrrowing the gap between practice and science. In D. P. Flanagan, J. L. Genshaft, & P. L. Harrison (Eds.), Contemporary intellectual assessment: Theories, tests, and issues (pp. 314-325). New York: Guilford Press.

McGrew, K. S. (1997). Analysis of the major intelligence batteries according to a proposed comprehensive Gf-Gc framework. In D. P. Flanagan, J. L. Genshaft, & P. L. Harrison (Eds.), Contemporary intellectual assessment: Theories, tests, and issues (pp. 151-179). New York: Guilford Press.

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Sources of Information

• Expert clinicians

• Expert theoreticians

• Aided by information from factor analysis studies

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Factor Analysis

• Exploratory factor analysis

• Confirmatory factor analysis

• Joint factor analyses

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Some Joint FA Studies

• Woodcock, R. W. (1990). Theoretical foundations of the WJ-R measures of cognitive ability. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 8, 231-258.

• Phelps, L., McGrew, K. S., Knopik, S. N., & Ford, L. (2005). The general (g), broad, and Narrow CHC stratum characteristics of the WJ III and WISC-III tests: A confirmatory cross-battery investigation. School Psychology Quarterly, 20(1), 66-88.

• Sanders, S., McIntosh, D. E., Dunham, M, Rothlisberg, B. A, & Finch, H. (2007). Joint confirmatory factor analysis of the Differential Ability Scales and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities—Third Edition. Psychology in the Schools, 44(2), 119-138.

• Hunt, M. (2007). A joint confirmatory factor analysis of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition, and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition, with preschool children. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Ball State University, Muncie.

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What might your next test battery do?

• Suggest tests based on the referral concern

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• Seek and integrate qualitative information to present along with test scores

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• Seek and integrate qualitative information to present along with test scores

• Suggest interventions and compensatory procedures

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Summary

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Better Better BetterCognitive Cognitive Better Instructional Theory Tests Information and Clinical

Planning

Path of Progress

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Pairof

Abilities

LimitedSet ofBroad

Abilities


Abilities

NarrowAbilities

UnderlyingBroad

Abilities


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Test batteries of the future will be more informative.

The Good News …

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Test batteries of the future will be more informative.

Test batteries of the future will be more complex as test developers close the gap between cognitive theory and practice.

… the Bad News

Dr. Woocock's Evolution of Cognitive Assessments

Technology

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