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Abstract

A two-step procedure was employed to assess the dimensional structure of the WISC-R for samples of Anglo- and Mexican-American children. The first step involved the assessment of the goodness-of-fit of two- and three-common-factor models of the WISC-R, by using confirmatory factor-analytic procedures, for the Anglo sample. The three-common-factor solution provided the best fit for the Anglo sample data: Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, and Freedom from Distractability. Using the just-cited model, the second step employed a simultaneous multi-sample confirmatory factor analysis and evaluated the equality of factor solutions for the Anglo- and Mexican-American samples. The factor solutions, with very slight modifications, were found to be invariant across samples. Implications for the assessment of abilities that underlie the performance of Anglo- and Mexican-American children on the WISC-R were discussed.

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Is the Factor Structure of the WISC-R Different for Anglo- and Mexican-American Children?

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