Validation of the Barkley Deficits of Executive Functioning Scale-Short Form

The Barkley Deficits of Executive Functioning-Short Form (BDEFS-SF) is a short rating scale measuring executive functioning in adults. The BDEFS-SF was developed using the 5 highest loading questions from the BDEFS-LF. Consequently, the psychometric qualities of the BDEFS-SF were not investigated using formal methods. In this study, the psychometric attributes of the BDEFS-SF were examined using two separate but similar groups. The first group of 264 men and women aged 18-35 years old completed the BDEFS-SF via an internet survey. The second group of 36 men and women aged 18-35 years old completed the BDEFS-SF and individualized assessments of executive functioning and cognition individually with this researcher. Examination of the internal reliability of BDEFS-SF was found to be a more than robust .87. Factor analytic processes uncovered three latent traits in the BDEFS-SF and results also found cognition to be a separate construct from executive functioning. Lastly, measures of executive functioning and ratings from the BDEFS-SF yielded significant relationships. Limitations of this study and recommendations were explained. This study provides some initial evidence for the validity and reliability of the BDEFS-SF