The Gifted Rating Scales-Preschool/Kindergarten Form (GRS-P): A Preliminary Examination of Their Psychometric Properties in Two Greek Samples

The present paper is based on data of two samples concerning the Gifted Rating Scales-Preschool/Kindergarten Form (GRS-P) that aimed to gain insight into the psychometric properties (internal consistency reliability, structural and convergent validity) of the Greek version of the GRS-P. In both studies, teachers estimated their students' giftedness with the GRS-P and executive functions with the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (Study 1). In Study 2, kindergarteners were examined in cognitive measurements which included the colored progressive matrices, the children category test, the Athena test, and the mini-mental state examination. Statistical analyses (EFA, CFA, Cronbach's α, and Pearson's r coefficients) revealed the excellent internal consistency of the scales as well as their good factorial and convergent/discriminant validity. In relation to the children's cognitive ability measures, it emphasized the fact that the GRS-P is a reliable and valid tool for teachers to assess their gifted students in a Greek cultural context.

Psychometric properties of the childhood executive functioning inventory (CHEXI): A confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance by sex and age in Iranian children

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties, factor structure, and measurement invariance of the Persian version of the Childhood Executive functioning Inventory (CHEXI). Participants were 1076 typically developing children, 6- to 12-years old (M _age=  9.2 years, SD _age=  1.96); females (52.1%) recruited from 17 provinces and 30 children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (females, % 36) and 30 children with specific learning disability (SLD) (females, % 40). Children's parents completed CHEXI and the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale-Children and Adolescents (BDEFS-CA). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the two-factor structure, including (1) working memory and (2) inhibition, which had been identified previously. The Results showed that the CHEXI had high internal consistency and adequate test-retest reliability. The CHEXI was found to be invariant by sex (female vs. male) and age (7 age groups) across all factors. Lastly, the CHEXI demonstrated adequate convergent validity with the BDEFS-CA and known-group validity. We highlighted the implications of these findings for using CHEXI in typically developing children and clinical samples, along with directions for future research.

Evaluation instruments for executive functions in children and adolescents: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The present study aimed to perform a systematic review of instruments for evaluating the executive functions (EFs) in a pediatric population to assess their measurement properties, focusing on the professional who administers it.

AREA COVERED

A systematic search of the literature was performed on Cinahl, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and Medline to identify studies in which an instrument for evaluating the EFs was described. Included only were the papers reporting the evaluation of EFs, with any instrument, on a population aged 0 to 18 consisting of healthy individuals or people with neurodevelopmental disorder. The evaluation of the Risk of Bias has been carried out with the administration of a part of the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) Checklist.

EXPERT OPINION

The search ended on the 2nd of August. Only 19 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study; the papers refer to 16 different evaluation tools of the EF. Analysis of the methodological quality shows that most of the papers assessed received an 'inadequate' or 'insufficient' score. Indeed, only two articles received six or five 'sufficient' out of 8 items; instead, ten papers received one or zero 'sufficient.'

The Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI) Parent and Teacher Form: Factor Structure and Cognitive Correlates in Spanish-speaking Children from Argentina

The aims of the present study were: (1) to explore the CHEXI factor structure parent (n = 183) and teacher (n = 206) forms in Spanish-speaking children aged 6 to 11  years, (2) to analyze the relationship between parent- and teacher-rated data and performance-based measures of EF (including working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility tasks) and academic achievement and (3) to examine the association between parents and teachers reports. Confirmatory Factor analysis (CFA) showed that the two-factor model including (1) Working memory and (2) Inhibition best fit the data. McDonald's Omega coefficient was adequate for both the total parents (ω = .98). and teachers' (ω = .98) scales. In addition, low and selective associations were found between performance and rater-based assessments. However, stronger associations were observed between CHEXI and academic performance with differences according to the informant (parents vs. teachers). Finally, low correlations were found between parents and teachers reports. Taken together, our results suggest that the CHEXI is a reliable measure to assess EF in Argentinean Spanish-speaking children, supporting existing evidence that proposes that ratings and performance-based measures would assess different underlying mental constructs. Clinical and educational implications for considering both perspectives during neuropsychological assessment, further including parent- and teacher-rated reports are discussed.

Psychometric properties of Persian version of the Barkley deficits in executive functioning scale-children and adolescents

The Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale-Children and Adolescents (BDEFS-CA) is an empirically based tool for evaluating clinically significant dimensions of child and adolescent executive functioning. The present study examined the psychometric properties of Persian version of the BDEFS-CA Long Form parent-report in children and adolescents aged 6-18 years old (n = 2,295, 51% girls). The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) consistently underscored a five-factor structure (self-management to time, self-organization/problem solving, self-restraint, self-motivation and self-regulation of emotion), resembling the original factor structure, in Persian language. Additionally, Results showed that Persian version of the BDEFS-CA Long Form demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities. Convergent validity with Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI) and divergent validity between normal and clinical groups were good. Overall, findings provide support for the validity and reliability Persian version of the BDEFS-CA Long Form, which can be used to assess executive dysfunction in daily life activities.

Executive Function, Chaos and Temperament: Specificities in Preschoolers with Externalizing Behaviors

Various factors may contribute to the emergence of externalizing behavior (EB) problems in the preschool period. At the child level, temperament and executive function (EF) seem to play an important role, as well as environmental variables such as household chaos. In this study, we examined the profiles of 49 EB preschoolers compared to 49 typically developing (TD) preschoolers matched on age and gender. To evaluate the behavioral aspect of EB, we asked teachers and parents to fill out questionnaires, but we also used an observational paradigm. We assessed executive functions using attention, inhibition, flexibility and working memory tests. Finally, we used questionnaires to assess household chaos and child temperament. Results showed that children rated by parents as presenting EB were also assessed so by teachers and exhibited more agitation in our observational paradigm. As expected, EB children also presented weaker performance than the TD children in all EF tasks, except those measuring attention, and showed a larger reaction-time variability. Parents of the EB group reported a more chaotic environment at home. Finally, we found that child temperament (i.e., emotionality) also plays a role in group belonging. This study shows that EB children already exhibit specific characteristics by the time they are of preschool age, not only in the behavioral sphere, but also in the cognitive and environmental areas. However, despite all the differences between the two groups, a discriminant analysis showed that EF capacities have a weak power for EB diagnosis.

The Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI): Factor structure, measurement invariance, and correlates in US preschoolers

This study tests the factor structure, measurement invariance, and correlates of the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI) with a large and diverse sample of 3- to 5-year-olds (n = 844). Consistent with previous studies, a two-factor model that distinguishes working memory from inhibition provides the best fit to the observed data. This two-factor model has been shown to demonstrate strong measurement invariance for different subgroups of children (boys vs. girls, high vs. low income). Whereas boys tend to have greater working memory and inhibition difficulties (Cohen's d = 0.15 and 0.20, respectively), children from low-income households tend to have more working memory problems than their peers from high-income households (Cohen's d = 0.25). Finally, correlations between CHEXI scores, examiner reports of child behavior, and child performance on a battery of executive function (EF) tasks were investigated. CHEXI scores were found to be more consistently related to examiner reports of child behavior than child performance on EF tasks. Tthe strengths and weaknesses of the CHEXI as a questionnaire measure of EF are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.