WJ-III COG

Shelina Hassanali & Taylor Leslie

EDPS 657
Woodcock-J ohnson III Tests of Cognitive
Abilities (WJ III Cog)
Authors: Woodcock, McGrew & Mather
Publisher: Riverside Publishing

Test Description:
The Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities
(WJ III COG) are divided into two batteries: the Standard
Battery (tests 1 through 10) and the Extended Battery
(tests 11 through 20). This assessment instrument
provides a comprehensive set of individually
administered tests for measuring intellectual abilities.
Depending on the purpose of the assessment, the
examiner can administer the Standard Battery alone or
in conjunction with the Extended Battery. The clusters or
grouping of tests are the primary source for interpretive
information to help identify performance levels and
individual strengths and weaknesses.
Test Kit Includes
Two easel test books (standard & extended)
Examiners manual
Technical manual
Computer scoring program
Test records
Subject response booklets
Audio recordings
Scoring guides

Historical Foundations
The first intelligence test was developed in 1977 by
Richard Woodcock and Mary Johnson
1
st
revision in 1989
2
nd
revision in 2001 3
rd
edition as we see it today
Normative Update in 2007


Recommended Uses & Purpose
Purpose of test
Use for ages 2.0-90+
Measures general intellectual ability, predicted achievement,
cognitive discrepancies, various CHC factors, and clusters of areas
including phonemic awareness, working memory, broad attention,
cognitive fluency, and executive processes

Diagnosis - determining present strengths/weaknesses and
nature/extent of impairment
Determining Discrepancies - intra-ability and ability-achievement
Educational Planning
Assessing Growth
Research
Psychometric Training


Examiner Qualifications
Thorough knowledge of exact administration and
scoring procedures
Graduate-level training in cognitive assessment and
diagnostic decision making is required for competent
interpretations
Completion of a graduate program which includes (at
minimum) a practicum course on tests of cognitive
abilities

Organization of WJ Cog Tests
Category Standard Battery Extended Battery
Verbal Ability
Comprehension-Knowledge
(Gc)
Test 1: Verbal Comprehension Test 11: General Information
Thinking Ability
LT Retrieval (Glr)
Visual Spatial (Gv)
Auditory Processing (Ga)
Fluid Reasoning (Gf)
Test 2: Visual-Auditory Learning
Test 3: Spatial Relations
Test 4: Sound Blending
Test 5: Concept Formation
Test 12: Retrieval Freq
Test 13: Picture Recognition
Test 14: Auditory Attention
Test 15: Analysis-Synthesis
Cognitive Efficiency
Processing Speed (Gs)
Short Term Memory (Gsm)
Test 6: Visual Matching
Test 7: Numbers Reversed
Test 16: Decision Speed
Test 17: Memory for Words
Supplemental
(Ga, Gs, Gsm, Gf, Glr)
Test 8: Incomplete Words
Test 9: Auditory Working Memory
Test 10: Visual-Auditory Learning -
Delayed
Test 18: Rapid Picture Naming
Test 19: Planning
Test 20: Pair Cancellation
Table 1-1, Examiners Manual
Theoretical Basis of Test
"Research over the past 50 years has increasingly emphasized
that intelligence, or IQ, is not a single thing, but a complex,
composite structure of a number of intelligences"
(Flanagan & Harrison, 2005, pg.74)
The theory is an integration of the Cattell-Horn Gf-Gc theory and Carroll's
Three Stratum Theory
o Gf-Gc Theory
Fluid Intelligence
Crystalized Intelligence (acquired)
o Carroll's Three-Stratum theory
Narrow (Stratum I)
Broad (Stratum II)
General (Stratum III)






Test Items link to Brain
Function or these broad
abilities and narrow abilities

Provides a "map" of cognitive
abilities
Helpful for score interpretation
1. General Ability (g) - Stratum III
general intellectual ability

2. Broad Abilities - Stratum II
1. Fluid Reasoning (Gf)
2. Comprehension-Knowledge (Gc)
3. Long-Term Retrieval (Glr)
4. Visual Spatial Thinking (Gv)
5. Auditory Processing (Ga)
6. Processing Speed (Gs)
7. Short-Term Memory (Gsm)

3. Narrow Abilities - Stratum I

1. Comprehension-Knowledge (Gc): includes the breadth and depth
of a person's acquired knowledge, the ability to communicate one's
knowledge, and the ability to reason using previously learned
experiences or procedures.
Subtest Task Requirements
Narrow Abilities
Measured:
Test 1:
Verbal Comprehension

Standard Battery
Individual must identify objects
when asked verbally

Example. Point to the picture
of the blue banana.
Lexical Knowledge

Language Development
Test 11:
General Information

Extended Battery
Individual must identify where
objects are found and what
people typically do with an object

Example. Where would you
usually find a cactus?
General (verbal)
Information
2. Long-Term Storage and Retrieval (Glr): is the ability to
store information and fluently retrieve it later in the process of
thinking.
Subtest Task Requirements Narrow
Abilities
Measured
Test 2:
Visual-Auditory Learning

Standard Battery
Individual must learn and recall
pictographic representations of words

Example. Examiner would teach what a
symbol means then point to a set of
symbols and ask What does this say?
Associative
Memory
Test 10:
Visual-Auditory Learning-
Delayed

Standard Battery
Individual must learn and recall
pictographic representations of words
from 30 minutes to 8 days later
Associative
Memory

Test 12:
Retrieval Fluency

Extended Battery
Individual must name as many examples
as possible from a given category.

Example. I want you to name as many
video games as you can think of
Ideational
fluency

Naming facility
3. Visual Spatial Thinking (Gv): is the ability to perceive,
analyze, synthesize, and think with visual patterns, including
the ability to store and recall visual representations.
Subtest Task Requirements
Narrow Ability
Test 3:
Spatial Relations

Standard Battery
Individual identifies the subset of pieces
needed to form a complete shape

Example: Two of these pieces go
together. Tell me which two.
Visualization

Spatial Relations
Test 13:
Picture Recognition

Extended Battery
Individual identifies a subset of previously
presented pictures within a field of
distracting pictures

Example: What car did you see on the
previous page?
Visual Memory
Test 19:
Planning

Extended Battery
Individual traces a pattern without
removing the pencil from the paper or
retracing any lines
Spatial Scanning

General sequential
Reasoning
4. Auditory Processing (Ga): is the ability to analyze, synthesize, and
discriminate auditory stimuli, including the ability to process and discriminate
speech sounds that may be presented under distorted conditions.
Subtest Task Requirements Narrow Abilities
Measured
Test 4:
Sound Blending

Standard Battery
Individual synthesizes language sounds
(phonemes)

Example: Im going to say a word one part
at a time, then you say the word together.
Tig-ger
Phonetic Coding
Test 8:
Incomplete Words

Standard Battery

Individual identifies words with missing
phonemes.

Example. Tell me which word I am trying to
say Pi__ow
Phonetic coding


Test 14:
Auditory Attention

Extended Battery
Individual identifies auditory presented words
and increasingly intense background noise
point to fish
Speech-sound
discrimination

Resistance to auditory
stimulus distortion
5. Processing Speed (Gs): is the ability to perform
automatic cognitive tasks, particularly when measured under
pressure to maintain focused attention.
Subtest Task Requirements Narrow Ability
Measured
Test 6:
Visual Matching

Standard Battery
Individual rapidly locates and circles
identical numbers from a defined set of
numbers

Example. Point to the 2 pictures that are the
same
Perceptual Speed

Test 16:
Decision Speed

Extended Battery
Individual locates and circles two pictures most
similar conceptually in a row

Example. Draw a circle around the two
pictures that go together
Semantic Processing
Speed

Test 18:
Rapid Picture Naming

Extended Battery
Individual recognizes objects, then articulates
their names rapidly

Example. Tell me the names of these pictures
as fast as you can
Naming Facility

Test 20:
Pair Cancellation

Extended Battery
Individual identifies and circles instances of a
repeated pattern rapidly

Example. Draw a circle around each apple and
car together
Attention and
concentration
6. Fluid Reasoning (Gf): includes the broad ability to reason,
form concepts, and solve problems using unfamiliar information or
novel procedures.
Subtest Task Requirements Narrow Abilities Measured
Test 5:
Concept Formation

Standard Battery
Individual identifies,
categorizes, and determines
rules

Example. Point to the heart
that goes in the box
Induction
Test 15: Analysis-
Synthesis

Extended Battery
Individual analyzes puzzles to
determine missing components

Example. A red circle with a
green circle is the same as ?
General sequential
reasoning

Quantitative Reasoning
7. Short-Term Memory (Gsm): is the ability to apprehend
and hold information in immediate awareness and then use it
within a few seconds.
Subtest Task Requirements
Narrow Ability
Measured
Test 7:
Numbers Reversed

Standard Battery
Child holds a span of numbers in immediate
awareness while reversing the sequence

Example. I am going to say some numbers,
then you say them backward
Working Memory
Test 9:
Auditory Working
Memory

Standard Battery
Child holds a mixed set of numbers and
words in immediate awareness while
reordering into 2 sequences

Example. Tell me the object first, then the
number 5, fry
Working Memory
Test 17:
Memory for Words

(Extended Battery)
Child repeats a list of unrelated words in correct
sequence

Example. Say the words back to me in the
same order bug, meat, flower
Auditory Memory
Span
Administration
Standard procedures apply for the WJ-Cog:
Exact instructions/directions
In general, administer tests in order
Follow suggested starting points
Basals & ceilings
Best practice: test by complete pages when the
stimulus material is visible to the client
Scoring - Types of Scores
Raw Score The number of correct responses
W Score A conversion score made by the software program
Grade Equivalent Performance in terms of grade level of norm sample
Age Equivalent Performance in terms of age level of norm sample
Relative Proficiency
Index (RPI)
Predicts performance on tasks similar to the ones being tested; based on
distance of the score from average scores of norm sample
CALP Levels
(Achinitive-Academic
Language Proficiency)
Describes subject's English language proficiency. CALP Levels range
from 1-5, with 1 being negligible and 5 being advanced.
Percentile Rank Performance on a scale from 1-99 relative to norm sample. Percentile
rank = the percentage of subjects who scored the same or lower than the
subjects score.
Standard Score Based on a mean of 100 and SD of 15; can be used to relate scores to
other test scores with the same mean and SD
Interpretation
Age/Grade Profiles:
May be most meaningful particularly for planning and communication

Standard Score/Percentile Ranks:
Allows examiner to evaluate differences on tests, interpret results to determine
if significant difference in abilities in different areas exists; has later implications
for programming

Tests & Clusters:
Can make interpretations based on CHC clusters
Gc, Glr, Gv, Ga, Gf, Gsm, Gs
Interpretation
Two WJ III COG interpretive models are described in the technical manual:

Cognitive Performance Model
Four broad categories contribute to cognitive performance: stores of acquired
knowledge (Gc, Gq, Grw), thinking ability (Glr, Gv, Ga, Gf), cognitive efficiency
(Gsm, Gs), facilitator-inhibitors
Determine where scores fall related to above categories to interpret areas of
strength/weakness

Information Processing Model
Many different processes occur during cognitive tasks
A breakdown in these processes can affect performance
o Gsm & Gs can affect automatic cognitive performance
o Thinking ability (Gv, Ga, Glr, Gf) can affect new learning
o All performance is affected by the available knowledge base
o All performance is affected by facilitators/inhibitors


SAMPLE REPORT
(Visual Matching) measures Processing Speed (Broad Ability) & Perceptual Speed
(Narrow Ability)
Taco performed in the Average range (38th percentile) on tasks that
required him to discriminate between visual symbols, such as circling
identical numbers in one row.
(Numbers Reversed) measures Short Term Memory (Broad Ability) & Working
Memory (Narrow Ability)
Taco was asked to listen to a series of digits and repeat them backwards
His performance on this task fell within the Low Average range (17th
percentile).

Subtests

Scaled
Score
Percentile

Classification

Sound Blending
Concept Formation
Visual Matching
Numbers Reversed


93
108
95
86

31
71
38
17

Average
Average
Average
Low Average


Standardization of Test
Sample
8,782 subjects from over 100 geographically
diverse communities

Preschool Sample 1,153
Kindergarten-Grade 12 Sample 4,740
Adults not attending post-secondary 1,727
Undergrad/Grad students 1.162
Standardization of Test
Stratified sampling design controlled for 11 variables:
1. Census region (NE, S, W, Midwest)
2. Community size (Urban/Rural/Urban cluster)
3. Sex (M/F)
4. Race
5. Hispanic (hispanic, non-hispanic)
6. Type of school (public, private/home)
7. Type of college/university (2 yr, 4 yr, public, private)
8. Education of adults
9. Occupational status of adults (employed, unemployed)
10.Occupation of adults in the labour force
11.Place of birth (foreign born or native born)

Technical Characteristics &
Psychometric Properties
Reliability:
The reliability characteristics meet or exceed
basic standards for program planning and
individual placement decisions, as stated by
the authors.
Most of the reliability scores are above .80
and many above .90

Technical Characteristics &
Psychometric Properties
Validity:
The authors devote a chapter to this
Describe the CHC categories and how the
text examines each in-depth
Overall, they describe it as a sophisticated,
comprehensive, and flexible test which
measures what it is supposed to measure

Evaluation
Strengths:
Very clear, step-by-step instructions for administration and scoring
Materials are easy to use and well-organized
Good sample size (n=9000)
Various interpretation methods, including interpretation involving CHC clusters,
cognitive processing, and information processing models glean important
information regarding where the break-down is happening for the child
The map of cognitive abilities allows for a helpful visual for the examiner to see
areas of difficulty; helpful for recommendations


Weaknesses:
No Canadian norms (authors state no significant differences)


Evaluation
The WJ-Cog III can be used both as a stand alone
assessment of cognitive skills and an important
screening tool.

Test results may or may not demonstrate areas of
weakness, in which case more focussed testing can
be applied using other measures
For example, WJ III results may show difficulty in long term or short term
memory, in which case an examiner may look further into using the Child
Memory Scale (CMS)

References
Flanagan, D.D., & Harrison, P.L. (2005). Contemporary Intellectual
Assessment: Theories, Tests, and Issues (2nd Edition). New York, NY:
Guilford Press

Sattler, J.M. (2008). Assessment of Children: Cognitive Foundations (5th
Edition). San Diego, CA: J. Sattler.