Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Structure of WISC-III

Cross-cultural comparison of the structure of WISC-III

Valentin Bucik Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract
WISC is one of the best-known and most frequently used intelligence tests for children. The WISC-III version was issued in USA more than a dozen years ago and since then many different language versions of the test were issued in different cultures. When translating the intelligence test from one language and/or cultural milieu to another, it is essential that the process of translation and adaptation considers the same methodological design as it was used in building the original version. All requirements about comparability of the original and adapted version in the theoretical structure and the construct validity are also to be met. The structure of the Slovene version, on the normative sample of 1.080 children, and 13 other language versions, with the total number of almost 16.000 children, from the cross-cultural study [Georgas, J., Weiss, L.G., van de Vijver, F.J.R & Saklofske, D.H. (2003). Culture and children 's intelligence: Cross-cultural analysis of the WISC-III. San Diego: Academic Press.], was being studied. The purpose of the analysis of structural equivalence was to determine to what extent the construct of intelligence as measured by WISC-III is similar across the cultures. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses tested the four-factor solution (Verbal Comprehension, Processing Speed, Perceptual Organization, Freedom of Distractibility) stressing the stability of the last factor.

Introduction

The WISC was and still is one of the best-known and most frequently used individually administered instruments for assessing cognitive abilities in children (6-17 years). It was introduced (along with WPPSI and WAIS) by David Wechsler about seventy years ago (Wechsler, 1939). There was no firm cognitive theory behind the idea of testing intelligence, he merely

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