Abstract
Objective
The General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA) is a brief nonverbal assessment of general intellectual ability (Naglieri & Bardos, 1997). Previous research supports use of the GAMA as a screening measure of cognitive ability in neurological populations (Davis, Bados & Woodward, 2005). However, there is a lack of research involving the use of the GAMA in high functioning populations commonly referred for neuropsychological evaluation (i.e. aviation pilots).
Method
Aviation pilots (n = 59; mean age = 44.90, SD = 9.78) were referred for a neuropsychological evaluation and were concluded to be cognitively intact. They were administered a battery that included the GAMA and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—4th edition (WAIS-IV) among other measures.
Results
A paired samples t-test revealed that IQ scores on the GAMA (M = 118.19, SD = 11.51) were significantly lower than IQ scores on the WAIS-IV (M = 125.73, SD = 10.12; p < .001), with WAIS-IV IQ being 7.54 points higher on average. A Chi-square test of independence determined there was disagreement in score classification between the two tests (χ2(9) = 15.463, p = .079).
Conclusions
The GAMA appears to significantly underrepresent true IQ in both score and classification when compared to a more robust measure of intellectual assessment. Clinically, this suggests that IQ screeners, such as the GAMA, may not be appropriate for assessing patients who are suspected to be of higher premorbid functioning. Future research should expand on these results to assess the validity of verbal-based IQ screening measures in high-functioning populations.
A-192 The General Ability Measure for Adults Underrepresents True IQ in a High-Functioning Aviation Population