RESUMEN
El objetivo de este artículo es presentar dos índices alternativos para la interpretación de la Escala de Wechsler para niños: los índices Capacidad General (ICG) y Competencia Cognitiva (ICC). El ICG proporciona una estimación de la capacidad general, con reducida influencia de la memoria de trabajo y rapidez de procesamiento. El ICC representa las competencias en el procesamiento cognitivo de tareas complejas de nivel superior. Se trabajó con 1437 participantes entre 6 y 16 años. El análisis factorial confirmatorio evidenció estructuras unidimensionales para cada índice, los cuales también presentaron adecuados coeficientes de consistencia interna. Se presentan pasos para la implementación de los índices y tablas de conversión correspondientes. Si bien estas puntuaciones no deben confundirse con el Cociente Total, resultan ser estimaciones útiles que enriquecen el estudio de la capacidad intelectual que permite analizar el sentido que cada perfil delinea y favorece la exploración de hipótesis cognitivas específicas del WISC-IV.
The objective of this paper is to present two alternative indexes for the interpretation of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children: General Ability Index (GAI) and Cognitive Proficiency (CPI) indexes. The GAI provides an estimation of the general intellectual capacity with reduced influence on the working memory and processing speed. The CPI represents the competences of a subject's cognitive processing of higher-level complex tasks. We worked with 1437 participants between 6 and 16 years. The confirmatory factor analysis showed the one-dimensional structures proposed for each index, which also presented adequate coefficients of internal consistency. Steps are presented for implementing the corresponding conversion tables and indexes. Although these scores should not be confused with the IQ, they are useful estimates to enhance the study of the intellectual capacity that allows analyzing the sense that each profile delineates and favors the exploration of specific cognitive hypotheses of WISC-IV.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical utility of the Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (K-WISC-IV) and General Ability Index (GAI) in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: The GAI and Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) in K-WISC-IV were compared for a group of 79 children with ADHD and 234 normal children. The mean differences within each group were testified by the t-test and Cohen's d. The Wechsler's descriptive classifications for each GAI and FSIQ score were analyzed in the children with ADHD. Additionally, the critical value for the difference between the means of the FSIQ and GAI was calculated in the normal children. RESULTS: The score on the GAI was higher than that on the FSIQ in the children with ADHD, with a mean difference of 2.19 points. The implications of these findings are discussed regarding the cognitive characteristics of the children with ADHD. According to Wechsler's descriptive classification, the application of the GAI showed a lower (7.59%), equal (61.65%) or higher (60.76%) prevalence of ADHD compared to the application of FSIQ. CONCLUSION: The implications of these findings are discussed regarding the cognitive characteristics of the children with ADHD. The GAI reflecting the attention and behavioral problems in children with ADHD could be utilized as an alternative global intelligence estimate that considers their potential for development.