WAIS-R subtest scatter: base-rate data from a healthy UK sample

Base-rate data on subtest scatter for the WAIS-R was obtained from a sample of 200 healthy subjects recruited to match the adult UK population in terms of age, sex and social class distribution. Tables are presented which permit an assessment of the abnormality (i.e. rarity) of an individual's pattern of WAIS-R performance in terms of subtest range and subtest deviations from an individual's subtest mean. Guidance on the appropriate use of the tables is offered and the data are compared with data from the US WAIS-R standardization sample where appropriate. The distinction between reliable and abnormal differences is highlighted.