Final answer:
The WAIS reflects Wechsler's comprehensive view of intelligence as a multifaceted capacity to think rationally, act purposefully, and cope effectively with the environment, assessing various cognitive abilities to provide a Full Scale IQ score.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) reflects David Wechsler's view of intelligence, which he defined as "the global capacity of a person to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment". WAIS, which has been updated to the WAIS-IV, along with the other tests such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-IV (WPPSI-IV), are based on his belief that intelligence is multidimensional and comprises various cognitive abilities. Therefore, in the WAIS, individuals are assessed across a variety of verbal and nonverbal skills through different subtests that yield separate scores for different cognitive abilities like Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed, culminating in a Full Scale IQ score.
This comprehensive and nuanced approach ensures that an individual's intelligence is not solely based on verbal competencies, but also considers other cognitive domains, consistent with the challenges and debates surrounding the definition and measurement of intelligence in the field of psychology.