Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale responses of schizophrenic and diffusely brain-damaged patients. The schizophrenic group was composed of 50 males and the brain-damaged-group 42 males. The schizophrenic group had a mean age of 26.1 years(SD=6.7) and a mean of 12.9 Years of education(SD=2.3) and the brain-damaged group had a mean age of 27.4 years(SD=7.5) and a mean of 12.4 years of education(SD=1.9). The data were analyzed by means of obtaining mean, standard deviation, and analysis of variance. The followings were the main findings: 1) The schizophrenics were measured with the Full Scale IQ, 110.9, Verbal IQ, 116.9, and Performance IQ, 105.5, and the brain-damaged patients the Full Scale IQ, 101.7, Verbal IQ, 108.2, and Performance IQ, 92.2. Schizophrenics were more better than brain-damaged patients. The results showed statistically significant differences between the groups: Full Scale IQ;F(1,90)=6.96, p<.01, Verbal IQ;F(1,90)=10.39, p<.01 and Performance IQ;F(1,90)=22.33, p<.01. 2) In Verbal Scale, 3 subtests of the two groups showed statistically significant differences: Information subtest; F(1,90)=24.27, p.<.01, Vocabulary subtest; F(1,90)=11.33, p<.01, and Comprehension subtest; F(1,90)=6.13, p<.05. The other subtests of the schizophrenics were more better than the brain-damaged, but they showed statistically non-significant. 3) In Performance Scale, all 5 subtests of the two groups showed very different results and statistically significant differences: Digit symbol subtest; F(1,90)=25.13, p<.01, Block design subtest; F(1,90)=19.45, p<.01, Object assembly subtest; F(1,90)=17.27, p<.01, Picture completion subtest; F(1,90)=7.14, p<.01, and Picture arrangement subtest; F(1,90)=6.88, p<.05. 4) The results of KWIS responses were highly successful in discriminating the two groups. Recommendations for future research include; a) the use of more valid criteria for schizophrenia (i.e., DSM-III) and brain damage (i.e., CT Scan) in classifying subjects; b) evaluating all subjects using both neurological and psychopathological criteria; and c) increased comparisons among schizophrenic and brain-damaged subclassifications.