Development of forensic normative data for the WAIS-IV
| Date | 12 February 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-08-2017-0029 |
| Published date | 12 February 2018 |
| Pages | 58-67 |
| Author | Lucinda Charlotte Flinn,Charlotte Louise Hassett,Louise Braham |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Forensic practice,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Law enforcement/correctional,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice |
Development of forensic normative
data for the WAIS-IV
Lucinda Charlotte Flinn, Charlotte Louise Hassett and Louise Braham
Abstract
Purpose –The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale –Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) (Wechsler, 2008) is a cognitive
assessment that is often used in secure forensic settings, however it has not been normed on this population.
The purpose of this paper is to develop forensic normative data.
Design/methodology/approach –Patient filesin a high secure forensic hospital were reviewed in order to
obtain completed WAIS-IV (Wechsler, 2008) assessments and scores from the five indexes
(verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed and full scale intelligence
quotient (FSIQ)). This included reviewing patient files fromall directorates, including male mental health,male
learning disability, male personality disorder and the women’s service, yielding a sample size of n ¼86.
Findings –The qualitative descriptors obtained across the hospital ranged between extremely low and
superior. The learning disability service scored significantly lower than the mental health and personality
disorder services in verbal comprehension index, perceptual reasoning index, working memory index and
FSIQ, and significantly lower than the mental health, personality disorderand women’s servicesin processing
speed index. Mean scores from this study were significantly lower in comparison to those from the
UK validation study (Wechsler, 2008).
Practical implications –The significant difference between scores from the current study and those from
the UK validation study (Wechsler, 2008) highlights the need to have appropriate normative data for forensic
populations. Clinicians should consider interventions that may serve to increase cognitive function, such as
cognitive remediation therapy.
Originality/value –Whilst several special group studies have previously been conducted, this study is the
first to develop forensic normative data for the WAIS-IV (Wechsler, 2008). Whilst the sample size was
relatively small with limited female participants, the data collated will enable clinicians working in forensic
establishments to interpret their assessments in light of this information.
Keywords Forensic, Cognitive assessment, High secure, Normative data, WAIS-IV, Wechsler
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Many patients detained within secure forensic hospitals in the UK have complex, severe and
enduring mental health or personality difficulties, or a co-morbid presentation of both. Such
difficulties often greatly impact a person’s ability to function, and research indicates that many of
these individuals also experience a range of neuropsychological impairments, which affect
cognitive functioning (Lowings, 2010; Lowings et al., 2013; Williams, Cordan, Mews, Tonks and
Burgess, 2010; Williams, Mewse, Tonks, Mills, Burgess and Cordan, 2010).
The cognitive diff iculties that thes e individuals expe rience varies grea tly, and may be due to
mental health (Heat on et al., 2001). For example, individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia
tend to perform below a verage on a range of cognit ive assessments , including those tha t
measure processin g speed, attenti on and problem solvi ng (Lezak et al., 2004). Furthermore,
the high prevalenc e of trauma and abuse in all psychiatr ic diagnoses is becoming increasing ly
recognised (e.g. D illon et al., 2012), for example, resear ch indicates that individuals ab used as
children are 9.3 time s more likely to dev elop psychosis, wit h the risk rising to 4 8 for those
suffering the seve rest types of abus e ( Janssen et al., 2004). Indeed, research has
demonstrated the im pact that trauma ca n have on the develop ing brain and the ass ociated
neurological changes (Read et al., 2001).
Received 4 August 2017
Revised 27 October 2017
28 October 2017
Accepted 29 October 2017
Lucinda Charlotte Flinn is a
Clinical Psychologist and
Charlotte Louise Hassett is an
Assistant Psychologist, both
at Rampton Hospital,
Retford, UK.
Louise Braham is the Clinical
Director at St Andrew’s
Healthcare, Northampton, UK.
PAG E 58
j
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PRACTICE
j
VOL. 20 NO. 1 2018, pp. 58-67, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8794 DOI 10.1108/JFP-08-2017-0029
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