Pros and Cons of Using Intelligence Batteries for the Study of Clinical Populations: A Response to Beaujean (2017)

In his commentary to our study (Toffalini, Giofrè, & Cornoldi, 2017), Beaujean (2017) raised some important issues. In particular, he suggested that the reliability of the WISC-IV indexes may be inadequate for clinical interpretation, that abnormal differences should be discussed rather than statistical significance, and that evidence of the treatment utility of WISC-IV indexes is limited. We agree with Beaujean that using cognitive strengths and weaknesses in isolation for individual clinical decisions is dangerous. However, investigation of groups is somewhat different; comparing group performances under different subtests or conditions, without definitive conclusions, can enhance clinical psychological research.