Exploratory Factor Analysis of the NEPSY-II Conceptual Template: Acting on Evidence

The present study examined the structure of the NEPSY-II within the norming sample using exploratory factor analysis. For the 3–4-year-old group, our results were conceptually uninterpretable. As a result, a unidimensional model was retained by default as a remedy to local fit issues. For the 7–12-year-old group, our analysis supported some aspects of the NEPSY-II conceptual domains in the form of a six-factor model that yielded the best fit to the data. While variance partitioning results indicate that the majority of NEPSY-II subtests at ages 7–12 contain adequate specificity to be interpreted in isolation, caution is suggested for interpreting the Social Perception subtests; in particular, given the inability to locate that latent dimension in either of the analyses conducted. Implications for the clinical interpretation of the instrument moving forward are discussed.