Advancing the Understanding of the Factor Structure of Executive Functioning

There has been considerable debate and interest regarding the factor structure of executive functioning (EF). Therefore, the aim of the current study was to delve into this issue differently, by investigating EF and other cognitive constructs, such as working memory capacity (WMC), relational integr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of intelligence 2021, Vol.9 (1), p.16
Main Authors: Himi, Samsad Afrin, Bühner, Markus, Hilbert, Sven
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attention Control
Brief Report
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive ability
divided attention
Executive Function
executive functioning
Factor Analysis
Factor Structure
Inhibition
Memory
relational integration
Short Term Memory
task impurity
working memory capacity
Young Adults
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Summary:There has been considerable debate and interest regarding the factor structure of executive functioning (EF). Therefore, the aim of the current study was to delve into this issue differently, by investigating EF and other cognitive constructs, such as working memory capacity (WMC), relational integration, and divided attention, which may contribute to EF. Here, we examined whether it is possible to provide evidence for a definite model of EF containing the components of updating, shifting, and inhibition. For this purpose, 202 young adults completed a battery of EF, three WMC tests, three relational integration tests, and two divided attention tests. A confirmatory factor analysis on all the cognitive abilities produced a five-factor structure, which included one factor predominately containing shifting tasks, the next factor containing two updating tasks, the third one predominately representing WMC, the fourth factor consisting of relational integration and antisaccade tasks, and finally, the last factor consisting of the divided attention and stop signal tasks. Lastly, a subsequent hierarchical model supported a higher-order factor, thereby representing general cognitive ability.
ISSN:2079-3200
2079-3200
DOI:10.3390/jintelligence9010016