FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE WECHSLER ADULT INTELLIGENCE SCALE - REVISED IN A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SAMPLE

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) protocols administered to 102 traumatically brain injured (TBI) patients an average of 9.74 months post-injury were factor analyzed using principal axes factoring with varimax rotation. Although high levels of congruence with psychiatric and standardization samples were achieved, Wechsler's Verbal/Performance dichotomy, strictly defined, did not hold in this sample. In addition, the third factor, consisting of Digit Span, Arithmetic, Digit Symbol and Picture Arrangement, replicated a factor analytic study using psychiatric patients. Clinicians should utilize caution when applying standard interpretation practices in this population. Future research should investigate factors contributing to WAISR factor structure similarities between psychiatric and TBI populations.