Internal and predictive validity of subscale scores of the short-form Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS) in research

We examined the five-factor structure of the items on the short-form Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS). Internally, the subscale structure of the form was verified, and associations between the short- and long-form subscales were investigated. To establish predictive validity, the associations of the BDEFS subscale scores (short and long-forms) with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS), as well as negative affect (depression and anxiety) were investigated. Australian university students (N = 608; aged 17-69 years, 23.5% men, 75.5% women and 1.0% others) completed self-reports of EF, ADHD, CDS, depression and anxiety. Overall, the five-factor model of the short-form BDEFS items was the best balance of fit and parsimony, and the factors aligned with the five subscales. Measurement invariance was shown across gender and age-group. The short-form subscales were highly correlated with their counterparts in the long-form, and subscale scores based on each form produced the same pattern of correlations and unique associations with ADHD and CDS, controlling for depression and anxiety. The short-form BDEFS produces five valid and reliable subscales that can be used in place of the long-form subscales when a more efficient method of data collection is desired.