Bifactor modeling of the behavior rating inventory of executive function (BRIEF) in a Chilean sample

The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions evaluates executive functioning through the observation of students’ performance in real contexts. Most psychometric studies of the scale have only tested the first-order structure, despite the hierarchical configuration of its theoretical model. A bifactor model was conducted on a normative sample of 5 to 18-year-old Chileans (M age=11.3 years, SD=3.7) to test a hierarchical structure of three first-order factors and an independent second-order factor. Bifactor analyses showed best fit for the proposed hierarchical structure. Findings supported a method to evaluate executive functioning models that provides a general global factor score that may complement existing indices and thus help clinicians to make better inferences.