FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE WAIS-R ITALIAN VERSION COMPARED WITH AMERICANAND BRITISH SOLUTIONS

The WAIS-R was administered to a sample of 180 young Italian adults (a ged 19 to 35 years). A principal components analysis was conducted on the 11 subtests to investigate the factor structure. According to the criteria of extraction, one- and three-factor solutions are discussed. The oblique rotation provided evidence for three correlated factors, 1: Verbal, 2: Perceptual Organization, and 3: Freedom from Distractibi lity. However, to compare Italian results with those obtained in the U SA and UK, an orthogonal rotation was performed. High coefficients of congruence point to similarity of factor loading matrices in all three countries.