A factor analytic investigation of the use of the PPVT-R as a measure of general achievement

This investigation assessed the construct validity of the PPVT-R as a measure of general achievement. The sample consisted of 208 children, aged 6–0 to 11–11, who were referred for evaluation. A principal-components factor analysis, followed by a VARIMAX rotation of 3-, 4-, and 5-factor solutions, was performed on the PPVT-R, WISC-R subtests and WRAT subtests. The PPVT-R consistently had substantial loadings on the factors that most resembled Kaufman's (1975) “Verbal Comprehension” factor, while it consistently failed to load significantly on the achievement-related factors.