Russian version of BRIEF2 Teacher Forms: validation study in typically developing children aged 5 to 7 years old

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Executive functions (EF) are crucial for academic and social success.
• The Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) is a widely used measure of EF.
• Validating international versions of EF measures is essential for cross-cultural research and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties and dimensional structure of the Russian version of the BRIEF2 Teacher Form.
• To determine the reliability and validity of the BRIEF2 Teacher Form in typically developing Russian children aged 5-7 years.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 178 typically developing children aged 5-7 years participated.
• Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha.
• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to examine the dimensional structure.

Main Results:

• High internal reliability (0.87–0.95) was found for all BRIEF2 composite indices and the Global Executive Composite.
• Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a different dimensional structure for 5- and 6-year-olds compared to 7-year-olds.
• The Russian BRIEF2 Teacher Form demonstrated validity for 5- and 6-year-olds but not for 7-year-olds.

Conclusions:

• The Russian version of the BRIEF2 Teacher Form is a reliable and valid tool for assessing executive function in 5- and 6-year-old children.
• The tool's validity is compromised for 7-year-old children, potentially due to the transition to formal schooling in Russia.
• Clinical interpretation for 5- and 6-year-olds should utilize the three BRIEF2 indices.