Difference in standard scores of adults on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Revised and Third Edition)

Differences in the standard scores for the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R; L. M. Dunn & L. M. Dunn, 1981) and the PPVT-Third Edition (PPVT-III; Dunn & Dunn, 1997b) are known to exist for children, with typically higher scores occurring on the PPVT-III. However, these tests are administered into adulthood as well, and score equivalence must be evaluated for this age range. Analysis of data from the PPVT-R and PPVT-III tests from 76 adult participants revealed significant score differences. Participants with poor language skills scored significantly higher on the PPVT-III than on the PPVT-R. The control group showed no significant difference between the PPVT-R and PPVT-III scores. The results suggest that the two tests should not be considered interchangeable.