The latent structure of memory: A confirmatory factor-analytic study of memory distinctions

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to investigate the nature of memory distinctions underlying the performance of two samples: a sample of male Vietnam War veterans who had not received head injuries, and a second sample of male Vietnam War veterans who had suffered penetrating head injuries resulting in relatively small lesions (<10 cc volume loss). For these two groups, comparisons were made of the fit of seven theory-based memory models, comprising from one to four factors. The four-component model with a verbal-episodic component, a visual-episodic component, a semantic component, and a short-term memory component provided a significantly better account of memory performance than the others. The implications of these findings and some advantages of this approach as a supplement to a purely experimental approach to memory are discussed.