David Wechsler

Have you ever felt like a test or an experience didn’t represent the true nature or capacity of your intellectual abilities? This is a pretty universal experience. We have all experienced the frustration of having our abilities undermined by a narrow or inappropriate test or exercise. However, thanks to David Wechsler, these experiences happen less than they used to.

• Who is David Wechsler?
• What was David Wechsler's theory?
• What kind of test did David Wechsler create?
• What is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale?
• What contributions did David Wechsler make to society?

David Wechsler: Psychology

David Wechsler was born in Lisped, Romania, on January 12th, 1896. The son of a professor and shopkeeper was the youngest of seven siblings. When Wechsler was six years old, his family emigrated to the United States and established themselves in New York City. Wechsler completed his undergraduate studies at the City College of New York in 1916. He earned his master’s degree in Experimental Psychology a year later at Columbia University.

Fig. 1 - Portrait of Devid Wechsler

Before the outbreak of World War I, Wechsler enlisted with the United States Army as a psychologist. His first assignment was on Long Island, where he administered general intelligence tests to select recruits. Later, he was assigned to the same duties in Fort Logan, Texas. During this time, Wechsler became frustrated and disappointed with the limitations of the current intelligence testing.

In 1934, Wechsler married his first wife, Florence Felske, who tragically died in a car accident just weeks after the wedding. He married Ruth Halpern in 1939, and the couple would go on to have two children.

Wechsler spent a few years working with and assessing children at the Child Guidance Institute in New York. Later, he began working at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital in New York as their chief psychologist in 1932. He would hold this position until 1967. During his time at Bellevue he created the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale, also called the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).

David Wechsler: Theory

Wechsler developed his test based on the theory that rejected an ideal mental age for test takers that scores can be calculated against.

Instead of defining average intelligence by the standard of mental age, Wechsler used the mean score of all members of a certain age group to describe average intelligence. He also used 100 as the score of average intelligence. This would go on to become the standard practice in intelligence testing. Previous tests, like the popular Stanford-Binet Scale, would go on to adopt this standard in their subsequent revisions.

Wechsler would use his theory, and his experience administering general intelligence tests in the United States and Europe while in the army, to change the way intelligence is tested and thought of. He wasn’t satisfied with the intelligence tests of the time. He found them to be too limited to give an accurate reflection of someone’s mental abilities. Wechsler also believed that intelligence involved a variety of abilities and could not be fully represented with a simple overall score.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adults

Wechsler originally designed the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale for adults. His test was unique in that it provided scores for different categories of intelligence in addition to an overall score. The Scale contained subtests for verbal and non-verbal categories of skills. There were scores for working memory, verbal comprehension, processing speed, and perceptual organization.

Analyzing the differences in scores for the separate categories proved to be incredibly useful. A high logical or mathematical score, coupled with an unusually low verbal score, could indicate a language or reading disability. The scores could also be used to tease out the specific areas of the brain that have been affected by a stroke.

Fig. 2 - Child doing a puzzle.

Wechsler created his Intelligence Scale in 1939 and created the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) ten years later in 1949. WISC was designed for children from six to eleven years of age. Like WAIS, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children has been revised and updated several times over the years.

In 1967, Wechsler created the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). This test was targeted at children from two and a half to seven years of age. Test categories include subtests for memory, processing speed, verbal comprehension, and spatial awareness.

David Wechsler: Contribution to Society

Wechsler created what is today regarded as the most widely used intelligence tests. His tests have revolutionized the way we measure mental ability in childhood through adulthood. Without his improvements to intelligence testing, countless people may not have received an accurate measurement of their abilities. Those who may have needed more attention in specific areas, like reading or spatial awareness, may never have been able to isolate their needs.

Wechsler used his expertise to help vulnerable demographics within the community. He helped set up a clinic and mental health program for Holocaust survivors. He spent a year as a guest professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1967. In Brooklyn, he worked on the psychology team at the Jewish Social Service Bureau. Wechsler also worked with World War II veterans, creating and implementing therapeutic programs.

Wechsler received honors from several prestigious organizations within the field of psychology. In 1973, Wechsler received the Distinguished Professional Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (APA), the largest organization of psychology professionals in the United States. He was also elected president of the American Psychopathological Association (APPA) in 1960.