David Wechsler, PhD

David Wechsler (1896-1981), PhD, who pioneered the field of cognitive psychology, was one of the most renowned psychologists of the 20th century. Wechsler viewed intelligence as an effect rather than a cause, and asserted that non-intellective factors, such as personality, contribute to the development of each person’s intelligence. He described intelligence as “the global capacity of a person to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment.”

He developed the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale, which quickly became the most widely used adult intelligence test in the United States. Wechsler has authored several other highly respected tests, including the WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children), the WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale), the WMS (Wechsler Memory Scale), and the WPPSI (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence).

Since Dr. Wechsler’s passing in 1981, a team of expert developers at Pearson have continued to evolve the Wechsler measures by creating revisions of existing ones as well as developing new scales. The result has been the continuation of innovation and precision that is based on contemporary theory and current neurocognitive research. Some of the notable advancements is the advent of a multi-factorial model and a variety of new constructs and subtests that are a reflection of the current landscape of modern psychology research and theory.