A psychometric study of an executive function assessment instrument (TDI-FE)

• Published in: BMC Psychology 2023-10, Vol.11 (1), p.1-336, Article 336
• Main Authors: Kato, Sérgio Kakuta, Machado, Flávia Amaral, Paganella, Machline Paim, Gurgel, Leia Gonçalves, Kaiser, Vanessa, Diaz, Gabriela Bertoletti, Serafini, Adriana Jung, Filho, Nelson Hauck, Reppold, Caroline Tozzi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Analysis; Behavior; Child development; Children & youth; Cognitive ability; Cognitive development; Early childhood education; Education; Executive function; Executive function (Psychology); Executive functions; Flexibility; Health aspects; Impulsivity; Learning; Memory; Methods; Motor ability; Psychological aspects; Psychometrics; Quantitative psychology; Reading comprehension; Schools; Validation studies
• ISSN: 2050-7283; 2050-7283
• DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01373-2

This study aims to present and discuss the psychometric properties of executive functions, which were measured using the TDI-FE instrument. The analysis encompasses its internal structure, potential sensitivity to fatigue factors, relationships with external criteria, and diagnostic accuracy. The study sample comprised 382 students from Brazil, aged 6-8 years. Child development variables were screened using the TDI-FE and gold standard tests (Cancellation Attention and Trail Making Tests). The proposed scale comprised four activities: a test with fruit images with three tasks, and one memory game. The one-factor model of EF of the TDI-FE failed to fit to the data. However, fit substantially improved once a latent fatigue factor was controlled in the model. The latent factor of EF assessed by the TDI-FE tasks was coherently associated with a series of external variables, including two popular collateral measures of EF. The diagnostic accuracy was reasonable, and a cut-off of 37 points produced 70% of sensitivity and 60% of specificity.