Invariant two-component structure of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS)

The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS; Randolph, 1998 , 2012 ) is a brief neurocognitive instrument used to evaluate cognitive functioning in clinical settings. Prior investigations of the factor structure have revealed subtle differences across samples. It was hypothesized that these differences are primarily the result of methodological decisions made by researchers. The present study utilized empirically supported extraction criteria (parallel analysis; minimum average partial procedure) and uniformly investigated 5 samples. RBANS data from 4 previously published studies (Carlozzi, Horner, Yang, & Tilley, 2008 ; Duff, Hobson, Beglinger, & O'Bryant, 2010 ; Duff et al., 2006 ; Wilde, 2006 ) were reanalyzed, and a new clinical sample was obtained from the Gundersen Health System Memory Center. The congruence of factor structures was investigated by conducting orthogonal vector matrix comparisons (Barrett, 2005 ), and a robust 2-factor structure reliably emerged across samples. The invariant RBANS 2-factor structure primarily emphasized memory and visuospatial functioning. This finding offered further support for a 2-factor RBANS structure identified in previous studies and additionally provided empirical documentation of replication across diverse samples. Due to the expansive use of the RBANS, this psychometric knowledge has significant clinical implications. It should facilitate accurate interpretation of test data and allow clinicians to make more informed decisions regarding whether the instrument is appropriate to use in various clinical settings.