Confirmatory factor analysis of the Kaufman assessment battery for children: A reevaluation

Abstract

Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) conducted by the test creators have reported that the three factors that make up the test's factor structure are relatively independent. This finding has been taken as support for the K-ABC's novel theoretical and diagnostic basis, despite several problems in the analysis and in the results of these studies. The present CFA analysis, using the subtest intercorrelations for the standardization samples provided in the test manuals, was undertaken specifically to test the hypothesis that the factors that make up the test are in fact only moderately correlated. The results indicate that the factors that underly the K-ABC are substantially intercorrelated at all age levels for both the two-factor (Simultaneous/Sequential processing) and three-factor (Simultaneous processing/ Sequential processing/Achievement) models. These findings suggest that the K-ABC cannot distinguish between sequential and simultaneous processing and achievement as distinct constructs, and that test users should therefore exercise caution in interpreting K-ABC test scores in the manner proposed by the test authors.