An Adaptable, Open-Access Test Battery to Study the Fractionation of Executive-Functions in Diverse Populations

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Executive functions (EF) are crucial for behavioral self-regulation.
• The unity and diversity model identifies inhibition, shifting, and updating as core EF domains.
• Existing EF tasks may be biased by socioeconomic status (SES) and cultural factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Free Research Executive Function Evaluation (FREE) test battery.
• To provide open-access, adaptable EF tasks for diverse populations.
• To validate the FREE battery's internal structure and suitability across varying SES and schooling levels.

Main Methods:

• Developed the FREE battery with two open-access tasks per EF domain (inhibition, shifting, updating).
• Adapted tasks for diverse SES/schooling by simplifying instructions and using familiar stimuli.
• Administered tasks verbally and self-paced to minimize confounds; analyzed performance using Rate Correct Scores.
• Utilized structural equation modeling to confirm the three-factor EF model.

Main Results:

• The FREE battery demonstrated age-related performance improvements.
• Sex and SES had minimal and inconsistent effects on scores, indicating broad applicability.
• No floor/ceiling effects or skewed distributions were observed, supporting suitability for diverse groups.
• Structural equation modeling confirmed the internal structure, replicating the three-factor EF model.

Conclusions:

• The FREE test battery is a promising, open-access tool for researching executive functions.
• The battery is adaptable and suitable for diverse populations, including those with varying SES and schooling.
• The FREE battery provides a reliable method for assessing inhibition, shifting, and updating across different groups.