Testing for multigroup invariance of the WISC-IV structure across France and Switzerland: Standard and CHC models

Abstract

Measurement invariance of the WISC-IV factorial structure between French and Swiss samples was investigated by means of multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA). The first sample was the French WISC-IV standardization sample described in the French WISC-IV technical manual (ages 6:0 through 16:11years), which included 1103 children (Wechsler, 2005). The French speaking Swiss sample included 249 children ranging in age from 8 to 12years old (124 males, mean age=10.16, SD=1.12 and 125 females, mean age=10.26, SD=1.17). Multigroup higher-order models were estimated to assess measurement invariance. In a first step, multigroup models were used to analyze the current four-factor structure. In a second step, multigroup higher-order models were conducted on a CHC-based model with five factors. For both the four-factor and the CHC-based models, results supported partial measurement invariance. Indeed, while configural and weak metric invariance criteria were met, intercept invariance was not demonstrated