A Systematic Review of Language‐ or Culture‐Adapted Executive Functioning Measures

Executive Functioning (EF) encompasses self‐regulatory skills essential for adaptive behavior across the lifespan. While EF is widely assessed, the cross‐cultural psychometric validity of EF measures remains underexplored. This systematic review evaluated the psychometric quality of 14 language‐ or culture‐adapted EF rating‐scale measures across 27 studies. Specifically, it examined the extent and quality of reported psychometric evidence, differences in factor structure between original and adapted versions, and whether EF demonstrates cross‐cultural generalizability. Most adapted measures demonstrated high internal consistency (93%) and retained their original factor structures (64%). Cross‐cultural validity scores did not differ significantly between studies that reported structural changes and those that did not; however, this finding should be interpreted cautiously given limited sample sizes. Notably, only 30% of studies evaluated measurement invariance, constraining confidence in score comparability. Overall, the findings provide tentative support for the cross‐linguistic generalizability of EF rating scales, while highlighting persistent gaps in methodological rigor.