An Instrument in Search of a Theory: Structural Validity of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition Normative Update at School-Age

The present study examined the factor structure of the Kaufman assessment battery for children-second edition normative update with normative sample participants aged 7-18 years (N = 500) using confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood estimation and multidimensional scaling procedures. For the 10 subtest Cattell-Horn-Carroll core battery configuration, an alternative hierarchical model with four group-specific factors (crystallized ability, perceptual reasoning, short-term memory, and long-term storage and retrieval) provided the best fit to the normative data for both age groups. These results suggest caution for interpreting the visual processing and fluid reasoning index scores in isolation given the inability to locate those constructs independently at school-age. Implications for the clinical interpretation of the measurement instrument moving forward are discussed.