The Validity and Reliability of Abbreviated Versions of the WISC-R

Abstract

The concurrent validity and reliability for abbreviated versions of the WISC-R were estimated with a group of one hundred children between the ages of six and 16 years. Specifically, shortened versions involved the reduction in the number of items for each subtest. With the exception of Vocabulary, split-half reliability estimates for the abbreviated subtest failed to meet conventional standards. Corrected concurrent validity coefficients relating shortened subtest versions with their full-length counterparts indicated a moderate degree of loss in information on most subtests. Abridged IQ scales offered satisfactory estimates of reliability and concurrent validity.