Construct validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children – Fifth UK Edition: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the 16 primary and secondary subtests. (4th June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Canivez, Gary L.; Watkins, Marley W.; McGill, Ryan J.
• Is Part Of: British journal of educational psychology. Volume 89:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 195
• Page End: 224
• Publication Date: 2018-06-04
• Subjects: WISC‐VUK -- exploratory factor analysis -- confirmatory factor analysis -- bifactor model -- intelligence; Educational psychology -- Periodicals; 370.1505
• DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12230
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-0998

Abstract

Abstract : Background: There is inadequate information regarding the factor structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth UK Edition (WISC‐V UK ; Wechsler, 2016a, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Fifth UK Edition, Harcourt Assessment, London, UK) to guide interpretation. Aims and methods: The WISC‐V UK was examined using complementary exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for all models proposed by Wechsler (2016b, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Fifth UK Edition: Administration and scoring manual, Harcourt Assessment, London, UK) as well as rival bifactor models. Sample: The WISC‐V UK standardization sample ( N = 415) correlation matrix was used in analyses due to denial of standardization sample raw data. Results: EFA did not support a theoretically posited fifth factor because only one subtest (Matrix Reasoning) had a salient pattern coefficient on the fifth factor. A model with four group factors and a general intelligence factor resembling the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (WISC‐IV; Wechsler, 2003, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Fourth Edition, Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, TX, USA) was supported by both EFA and CFA. General intelligence ( g ) was the dominant source of subtest variance and large omega‐hierarchical coefficients supported interpretation of the Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) score. In contrast, the four group factors accounted for small portions of subtest variance and low omega‐hierarchical subscale coefficients indicated that the four‐factor index scores were of questionable interpretive value independent of g . Present results replicated independent assessments of the Canadian, Spanish, French, and US versions of the WISC‐V (Canivez, Watkins, & Dombrowski, 2016, Psychological Assessment, 28, 975; 2017, Psychological Assessment, 29, 458; Fennollar‐Cortés & Watkins, 2018, International Journal of School & Educational Psychology ; Lecerf & Canivez, 2018, Psychological Assessment ; Watkins, Dombrowski, & Canivez, 2018, International Journal of School and Educational Psychology ). Conclusion: Primary interpretation of the WISC‐V UK should be of the FSIQ as an estimate of general intelligence.