The purpose of this commentary is to focus on the clinical utility of the four- and five-factor structural models for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). It provides a discussion of important considerations when evaluating the clinical utility of the four-factor and five-factor models of the WISC-IV and the WAIS-IV. Topics covered include psychometric issues, alignment with Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities (CHC theory), the importance of conative factors, developmental considerations, effort, environmental factors, and variability between individuals. The discussion concludes with a specific review of the purposes of the current studies and the implications for clinical utility.
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