Equivalence of Alternate Subtests for the Russell Revision of the Wechsler Memory Scale

Reasons for limited equivalence of Form II of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-II) Figural Memory Subtest as an alternate form for the Russell's Revision of the Wechsler Memory Scale (RWMS) Figural Memory Subtest were investigated. Thirty college students rated figural stimuli from RWMS and WMS-II on dimensions related to memory. Raters judged figural stimuli from RWMS to be less memorable, more complex, and more difficult to label verbally. Forms can be made more equivalent by either changes in scoring or the interchanging of stimuli across forms.