The Chinese Intelligence Scale for Young Children: Testing Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance Using the Framework of the Wechsler Intelligence Tests

The Wechsler intelligence test has four factors representing four components of intellectual function. In China, there are marked cultural, educational, and economic disparities between rural and urban dwellers, which could lead to cultural bias. The aim of this study was to apply the four-factor structure to responses to the Chinese Intelligence Scale for Young Children (CISYC) of 820 rural and 664 urban children aged 3 to 7 years. Measurement invariance testing using confirmatory factor analysis showed that the same four factors nested under a higher-order factor held for both rural and urban children. The general intelligence factor mean and variance were invariant and the means and range of scores for rural and urban children were similar. The results show no evidence of cultural bias and that the four factors can be interpreted similarly to those in the Wechsler intelligence test.