Revealing Cultural Dynamics in WAIS-IV Performance: a Comparative Analysis of Age Cohorts in Taiwanese and U.S. Populations.

This article focuses on a cross-cultural comparison of cognitive abilities measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) between Taiwanese and U.S. populations across various age groups. The study found that while overall Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) scores were similar, Taiwanese participants showed significantly lower Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) scores, likely influenced by cultural biases in test adaptation and differing cultural conceptions of intelligence. Younger Taiwanese cohorts outperformed U.S. counterparts in Processing Speed, Working Memory, and Perceptual Reasoning indices, correlating strongly with higher educational attainment, whereas older Taiwanese cohorts scored lower across most domains except visuospatial reasoning. The findings highlight the complex interactions among culture, education, cognitive processing styles, and test design, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive intelligence assessments and cautious interpretation of WAIS-IV results in diverse populations.