Measurement Invariance of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition 10-Subtest Primary Battery: Can Index Scores be Compared across Age, Sex, and Diagnostic Groups?

Abstract

Measurement invariance of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) 10 subtest primary battery was evaluated across sex, age (6–8, 9–11, 12–14, and 15–16 year-olds), and three diagnostic (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and encephalopathy) groups within a large clinical sample ( N = 5359) referred to a children’s specialty hospital. Competing models were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and a five-factor oblique model corresponding to the publisher’s hypothesized first-order measurement model (e.g., verbal comprehension, fluid reasoning, visual-spatial, working memory, and processing speed) was found to have the best model fit. Multigroup CFA was subsequently used to evaluate progressively more restrictive constraints on the measurement model. Results indicated that full metric invariance was attained across the three groups studied. Full scalar invariance was attained for sex and diagnostic groups. Partial scalar invariance was attained for age-group. The results of this study provide support for the first-order scoring structure of the five WISC-V factors in the 10 subtest primary battery with this large clinical sample.

The Impasse on Gender Differences in Intelligence: a Meta-Analysis on WISC Batteries

“…Most of these studies were performed on a single standardization sample, being therefore limited to a single country, or conducted with a limited sample size thus leading to different psychometric approaches in data analyses (see Giofrè et al, 2022 for a discussion). In addition, previous studies were mainly focused on adults, while child participants were often neglected (see Chen et al, 2015;Chen et al 2020;Dombrowski et al, 2021;Pezzuti & Orsini, 2016). We decided to address these issues by performing a meta-analysis of all evidence available in children assessed via the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC).…”

Age and Sex Invariance of the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities: Evidence from Psychometric Network Modeling

“…As stated by Taub and McGrew (2004), "establishing an instrument's factorial invariance provides the empirical foundation to compare an individual's score across time or to examine the pattern of correlations between variables in differentiated age groups" (p. 71). Extensive evidence of measurement invariance exists for other measures (e.g., Dombrowski et al 2020;Niileksela et al 2013), as well as the previous version of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities (e.g., Benson and Taub 2013;Keith et al 2008). Although some studies have begun to examine the factor structure of the various CHC abilities represented in the WJ IV (e.g., Dombrowski et al 2018), evidence for age-based measurement invariance in currently limited.…”

“…To date, several studies have examined sex differences in the general intellectual ability and broad abilities underlying well-known intelligence tests, such as the WJ III COG (e.g., Keith et al 2008 ), the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children—Second Edition (KABC-II; e.g., Hajovsky et al 2018 ; Reynolds et al 2008 ), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fifth Edition (WISC-V; e.g., Chen et al 2015 ; Chen et al 2020 ; Dombrowski et al 2020 ), and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Fourth Edition (e.g., Pezzuti et al 2020 ). Generally, research on sex differences in general intelligence (g) has been inconsistent.…”

“…To date, most studies have employed latent variable modeling for studying sex and age differences in the cognitive abilities underlying performance in tests of intelligence (e.g., Chen et al 2015 ; Dombrowski et al 2020 ; Reynolds et al 2007 , 2008 ; Taub and McGrew 2004 ). Modeling such differences within a latent variable framework allows researchers to test for factorial invariance across groups and detect significant differences in latent mean levels and the variability of cognitive abilities.…”

Linking brain networks to cognition with magnetoencephalography in paediatric autoimmune encephalitis

“…Sex was also included in these models. Whilst the WISC-V demonstrates measurement invariance across both males and females, 77 there is evidence to suggest that cognitive outcomes in this patient population differ as a function of sex. In paediatric ADEM, there is greater risk of neurological poor outcome (including intellectual difficulties) for males.…”