Factor Analysis of the WISC-R for White and Black Children Evaluated for Gifted Placement

Abstract
Scores from the 10 regularly administered subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) were factor analyzed for samples of white and black children evaluated for placement in a gifted and talented program. The two-factor solutions supported the validity of Wechsler's (1974) Verbal-Performance dichotomy in the interpretation of WISC-R performance. Compositional differences were found on the third factor when compared to the three-factor solutions reported for similar samples. The results suggest that the composition and meaning of the WISC-R third factor for different groups is a valid theoretical question for future research but that routine interpretation of a WISC-R third factor by practitioners may be inappropriate.