Investigating the performance of South African children from an under-resourced background on selected verbal subtests of the WISC-V and SSAIS-R

Abstract

Given the South African context and the scarcity of valid and reliable individual intelligence measures to assess the intellectual functioning of a broad spectrum of children from different socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds, continued research must be done on the utility, validity, and reliability of available measures. Taking this into consideration, the present study aimed to investigate and compare the performance of a sample of South African children who predominantly speak English as a Second Language (ESL) and who come from an under-resourced background on selected verbal subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V) and the Senior South African Individual Scales – Revised (SSAIS-R). In addition, the study investigated the internal consistency reliability and concurrent validity of these subtests in the present sample. The children's biographical information was obtained from a demographic questionnaire. The sample consisted of 58 participants (N= 58) from grades 4 to 7 living and developing in under-resourced contexts. Based on the data spread, parametric statistics in the form of a paired t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and Spearman-Brown split-half formula were used to address the aims of the study and answer the research questions. The findings highlighted the different factors that might influence assessment results in South Africa, particularly for children from under-resourced contexts. The current study can be a stepping stone for further research into the appropriateness of commonly used individual intelligence measures in under-resourced contexts, given that not all South African contexts have been investigated regarding psychological assessments and individual intelligence measures.