The Short Executive Function Scale: Psychometric properties and normative data in a U.S. population sample

Researchers and clinicians have growing interest in self-report questionnaires of executive functions, aiming to capture a more ecologically valid measurement of this multidimensional construct. This study examined the psychometric properties of the newly developed 15-item self-report Short Executive Function Scale (SEFS), which measures five executive-related abilities: Planning, Inhibition, Working Memory, Shifting, and Emotional Control. The goal of the current study was to replicate the five-factor model and create normative reference data to better interpret SEFS scores. Participants (n = 747; age: M = 47.1, SD = 16.2, range: 18-80; 50.6% female; 62.1% White) were recruited online from the general U.S. population via Prolific and completed the SEFS. The SEFS five-factor model had adequate fit, CFI = 0.913, RMSEA = 0.086 [90% CI: 0.079-0.094]. All scales showed acceptable reliability: Planning (ω = 0.68), Inhibition (ω = 0.74), Working Memory (ω = 0.67), Shifting (ω = 0.75), Emotional Control (ω = 0.78), and the Total Executive Function score (ω = 0.82). SEFS scores were examined in relation to sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, sex, education, and race/ethnicity) and positive screens for mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sociodemographic variables had mostly small, non-significant relationships with SEFS scores, whereas group differences based on mental health screens were consistently medium-to-large (d range: 0.50 to 2.13, p < .001). Normative data were calculated based on healthy participants without neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, or neurological conditions. These results provide psychometric support for the SEFS in a general U.S. population sample and offer normative data for interpretation. The SEFS offers a quick and accessible approach to measuring self-reported executive functions.