Abstract

The recent standardization of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) in its fourth version in Chile forces to test the impact that cultural and environmental conditions can have on people's intellectual performance. The present study compared the performance of young people from rural and urban areas of the Biobio region, segmented by parental education level as proxy variable to socioeconomic status. Results showed an interaction effect between socioeconomic status and place of residence. Verbal Comprehension and Working Memory are the constructs that received a higher impact of the socioeconomic status. Future studies are expected to contribute to research on cognitive abilities in rural and socially deprived sectors in Chile.