Factor structure of the new Scandinavian WISC-V version: Support for a five-factor model

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Child Psychology

Background:

• The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V) introduced a five-factor structure, including a fluid reasoning index.
• Previous factor analyses, particularly for the Scandinavian version, have not consistently supported this five-factor model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factor structure of the WISC-V Scandinavian version in a clinical sample.
• To determine the best fitting factor model (hierarchical, bifactor, or correlated) for the WISC-V Scandinavian version.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on WISC-V protocols from 237 children in a clinical sample.
• Six models were tested: three hierarchical, two bifactor, and one correlated five-factor model.

Main Results:

• The three-factor model did not fit the data.
• All four- and five-factor models demonstrated good fit.
• The five-factor correlated model provided the best fit, superior to bifactor and hierarchical models.

Conclusions:

• The findings support a five-factor structure for the WISC-V Scandinavian version in a clinical population.
• This supports the intended use of WISC-V index scores for clinical analysis.
• Statistical methodology in CFA influences the interpretation of factor models.