STRUCTURAL-ANALYSIS OF CORRELATED FACTORS - LESSONS FROM THE VERBAL PERFORMANCE DICHOTOMY OF THE WECHSLER SCALES

Although the constructs of interest in psychological assessment and applied research often ale correlated with other variables, a fundamental question has not been adequately resolved: ''Just how high can the correlations among supposedly discrete constructs or factors be?'' Logically, based on the application of convergent and discriminant validity criteria, the factors should have higher correlations with variables that they are intended to measure than with variables that they are not intended to measure. The structural issues, which pervade measurement applications in school psychology, have profound consequences when analyzed with respect to allowable inferences and decision outcomes for children. In this paper, exploratory and confirmatory analyses of the verbal-performance dichotomy of the Wechsler scales of intelligence are used to illustrate key concepts and procedures for the analysis of correlated factors. Implications for research and professional practice in the assessment of intelligence are discussed.