The WAIS-R was administered to a sample of 180 young Italian adults (aged 19 to 35 years). A principal components analysis was conducted on the 11 subtests to investigate the factor structure. According to the criteria of extraction, one- and three-factor solutions are discussed. The oblique rotation provided evidence for three correlated factors, 1: Verbal, 2: Perceptual Organization, and 3: Freedom from Distractibility. However, to compare Italian results with those obtained in the USA and UK, an orthogonal rotation was performed. High coefficients of congruence point to similarity of factor loading matrices in all three countries.
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