Performance on the Wisc as a Function of Sex of E, Sex of S, and Age of S

Summary

A Completely Randomized Factorial analysis was used in assessing the effects of sex of E, sex of S, and age of S on WISC performance. The Ss were 511 male and female, black and white public school children ranging in age from 6 years and 0 months to 14 years and 11 months. The sample was restricted to those referred for possible mental retardation or learning disability. Results indicated that for white Ss, female Es obtained significantly higher scores for the youngest age group, while male Es obtained higher scores for the intermediate age group. It was also found that performance decreased with age and that males generally performed better than females. Implications of the study include increasing sophistication in interpreting test results and avoiding E-S combinations that increase the chance of poor results.