Patterns of intellectual ability of Arab school children in Israel

Following a series of studies investigating the Arab pattern of intellectual ability with young children, and utilizing the WPPSI, the present study aimed to test the generality of these findings on a wider range of Ss, 6 to 16, and used the new Arabic WISC-R as the measurement instrument. The results supported the former conclusions concerning a distinct Arab profile noted for its relative superiority in the Verbal as compared to the Performance IQs. This pattern tends to diminish with age, as a flat profile seems to emerge in adolescence. An environmental explanation is offered to account for these results.