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Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS): Validation in a Large Multisite College Sample
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS): Validation in a Large Multisite College Sample

Jaclyn M Kamradt, Molly A Nikolas, G. Leonard Burns, Annie A Garner, Matthew A Jarrett, Aaron M Luebbe and Stephen P Becker
Assessment (Odessa, Fla.), Vol.28(3), pp.964-976
04/2021
DOI: 10.1177/1073191119869823
PMCID: PMC8010583
PMID: 31431045
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/8010583View
Open Access

Abstract

Despite the importance of daily life executive functioning (EF) for college students’ success, few measures exist that have been validated in college students specifically. This study examined the factor structure of the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS) in college students. Participants were 1,311 students (ages 18-28 years, 65% female) from five universities in the United States. Additionally, the study examined invariance across sex, age, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Exploratory structural equation modeling provided strong support for the BDEFS five-factor structure though some items had high cross-loadings on multiple factors. Findings generally supported invariance across sex and age; however, loadings, thresholds, and factor means differed based on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Stronger support for invariance across sex emerged for a reduced item version that eliminated cross-loading items. Overall, findings provide support for the validity and utility of the BDEFS in college students.

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