A literature review of factor analytic studies of the WAIS-R

Wechsler's intelligence scales long have been subjected to factor analytic studies in an effort to describe the components of measurable human intelligence. Most authors have extracted a general factor g, as well as a Verbal Comprehension factor, Perceptual Organization factor, and Memory/Freedom from Distractibility factor from a two- or three-factor solution. This article reviews the factor analytic studies done on the 1981 WAIS-R standardization sample and various patient samples in an effort to update and continue to tie together the findings on Wechsler's scales across ages and populations. We conclude that although the results of the WAIS-R factor analytic studies reviewed depend upon the statistical approach employed as well as each investigator's theoretical perspective, a three-factor solution appears to provide a source of hypotheses about an individual's or a select sample's unique abilities and weaknesses worthy of further exploration.