Factor analysis of the Chinese WAIS with persons who have mental retardation

The Chinese revision of the WAIS (designated WAIS-RC) was factor analyzed for a sample of individuals with mental retardation. There were 55 Chinese subjects with a mean Full Scale IQ of 49.13 (SD = 16.46). Results indicated that a two-factor solution comprised of the familiar Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Organization factors best described the data. Comparison of the Chinese structure with that of a low-IQ Canadian sample tested with the American WAIS-R revealed congruence coefficients of .97 and .98 for Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Organization, respectively. These findings provide support for further cross-cultural research utilizing the latest editions of the American and Chinese Wechsler scales.