Concurrent validity of WAIS-III short forms in a geriatric sample with suspected dementia: Verbal, performance and full scale IQ scores

Evaluation of intellectual abilities using the WAIS-III is a common component of neuropsychological assessments. However, clinicians might be interested in administering reliable and valid short forms due to practical and clinical reasons. The present study examined the concurrent validity of eight short forms of the WAIS-III with full form IQ scores in a sample (n = 43) of geriatric outpatients referred for assessment of suspected dementia. There were no significant differences between the short and full form VIQ scores at P < .01, while half of the short form PIQ and FSIQ scores were significantly different from their respective full form scores at P < .01. Correlations between short and full form IQ scores ranged from .89 to .99. Seven-subtest short forms were able to accurately estimate over 80% of scores within ±2 S.E.M.s. This study supports limited use of WAIS-III short forms when conducting evaluations of older adults with suspected dementia.