David Wechsler: biography of the creator of intelligence scales

David Wechsler is an old acquaintance of all those who have studied intelligence at a scientific level, from disciplines such as psychology or branches or specializations such as neuropsychology or neuropsychiatry. It is not in vain the author of one of the most famous and used batteries for assessing cognitive abilities, the Wechsler Intelligence Scales, both in its version for adults (WAIS) and in its version for children (WISC).

We are probably before one of the most recognized and important professionals who investigated and carried out various studies on the intelligence and cognitive capacity, and who transformed this research into practical material that allowed assessing the state of the patients. We'll see now a short biography of david wechsler.

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The life of the creator of the Wechsler Scales: biography of David Wechsler

David Wechsler was born on January 12, 1896 in the city of Lespedi, in Romania, as the youngest of seven children. He came from a family of Jewish origin, being the son of Professor Moses S. Wechsler and shopkeeper Leah W. Pascal.

In 1902, when David was six years old, the Wechsler family immigrated to the United States., specifically to New York City. Nationalized in that country, he would carry out his primary and secondary studies.

University education and World War I

Once he finished high school, he would begin his university studies at the City College of New York, from which he would graduate in 1916. Later he would complete a master's degree in Experimental Psychology at Columbia University, in 1917.

After that and before the outbreak of the First World War, he enlisted in the army, in which he would participate as a psychologist. He initially worked on Long Island, at Camp Yaphank, being assigned to pass general intelligence tests (specifically the Army Alpha and Army Beta, which were intended to be used to assess the assignment of recruits as officers or enlisted men) for the selection of recruits.

He would carry out the same tasks in the psychological division in Fort Logan, Texas, where he would meet and work with authors such as Thorndike, Yerkes, Spearman or Pearson. Throughout his military experience, he would begin to realize that the tests used had serious limitations. and biases (for example, they were not adapted for illiterates or foreigners, the verbal being excessively important).

He also served in France. After the war, the army he awarded her a scholarship in 1918 to study at the University of London, where he would meet again with Pearson or Spearman.

After that, in 1919 he would be accepted at the University of Paris, where he carried out research in psychology. experiment on variations in electrical conductivity in the skin in the face of emotional changes together with Piéron and Lapique, until 1922.

That same year he returned to the United States, initially working at the Boston Psychiatric Hospital to, months later, move to New York and enter the Bureau of Child Guidance as a psychologist, a center where he observed and practiced as a clinical psychologist until 1925. That year he completed his research on the electrical conduction of the skin, earning his doctorate with her from Columbia University (having been mentored by Woodworth).

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Postdoctoral life and World War II

After obtaining his doctorate, he would spend the following years, specifically until 1932, practicing as a clinical psychologist in practice. private, as well as secretary at the New York Psychological Corporation (in which he introduced a lie detector into 1926). His investigations made him see that he overestimated the magnitude of interpersonal differences in terms of cognitive abilities, as well as that from certain ages these begin to decline.

In 1932 he would be offered the position of chief psychologist at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, a position he would hold until 1967. He would also continue to be in contact with the New York University Department of Psychiatry and Neurology. His studies were varied, but intelligence would continue to be the topic that most interested him.

In 1934 he married Florence Felske, although weeks after the wedding she died in a traffic accident. He would not marry again until 1939, the year in which he would marry Ruth Halpern (with which he would end up having two children).

The same year of this second marriage would also be that of a milestone in psychology, the publication of his first intelligence scales. We are talking about the Wechsler-Bellevue Scale of Intelligence. Unfortunately, however, it was also in that same year that World War II would start.

During this second war, he would be appointed adviser by the Secretary of War of the United States. His role would also be relevant after the war, developing and implementing a mental health program for Holocaust survivors in Cyprus during 1947 and working with war veterans. He also visited the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, briefly working as a professor in 1967.

Another notable aspect in that over the years he developed different tests, including the Wechsler Memory Scale, or the well-known WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale), WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) or WPPSI (Wechsler Primary and Preschool Scale of Intelligence, for preschool children) as well as some of their reviews of him. His contributions were highly respected and valued while he was alive, receiving different decorations for them.

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death and legacy

Wechsler died at his Manhattan home on May 2, 1981., in New York City. His death occurred at the age of 85, leaving behind a wife, children and grandchildren. However, his legacy is extensive and continues today.

His studies on intelligence and the scales he created have been very useful to evaluate and assess the cognitive state of patients who manifest some type of deterioration.

In fact, although the entire battery is not usually used since this would imply a considerable time, it is common for many of the tests generated for it to be used today. in the evaluation of people with memory complaints, to assess cognitive ability and adjust aids if necessary (for example in the case of needing aids educational activities at school) or who present some type of cognitive deterioration (to assess deterioration generated by age or even observe alterations generated by some type of dementia).

Tests such as the WAIS and WISC continue to be performed regularly, improving and updating his scales but keeping the name of his original designer, Wechsler.