The Validity of the General Ability Measure for Adults ™: Comparison with WAIS-R IQ Scores in A Sample of College Students with Academic Difficulties

Abstract

The present study investigated the validity of the General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA¹) by comparing it to the WAIS-R using a sample of 80 college students reporting learning difficulties. Results indicated that the mean GAMA IQ score did not deviate significantly from the mean WAIS-R IQ scores. The GAMA Full Scale IQ correlated significantly with the WAIS-R PIQ VIQ, and FSIQ scores. However, the obtained correlation coefficient for the GAMA and WAIS-R PIQ significantly differed from the observed correlation coefficient between the GAMA and WAIS-R VIQ, suggesting that the GAMA was more clearly associated with perceptual skills than verbal abilities. When the correlation coefficients between the GAMA and WAIS-R scores were corrected for the effects of range restriction, the correlation coefficients increased, yet demonstrated the same pattern (e.g., GAMA/PIQ, .69; GAMA/VIQ, .36; GAMA/FSIQ, .60). The GAMA's accuracy in predicting individual student performance on the WAIS-R FSIQ also was examined.

Keywords

Validity GAMA Wechsler scales learning disability assessment visual-spatial ability measurement

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