Coping Strategies and Social Skills of School-Aged Children: Association with Performance-Based Measures and Behavioral Ratings of Executive Function.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the association of executive function (EF) based on performance-based measures and behavioral ratings (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2 [BRIEF-2]) with coping and social skills in children. To this end, we first examined the structure of EF based on performance-based measures in a Chilean sample of 275 girls and boys aged 8-12 years. Confirmatory factor analysis showed the best fit for the three-factor solution, with (1) working memory, (2) cognitive flexibility, and (3) inhibition as separate but related components. Selective associations were found between EF and coping and social skills, with differences according to the assessment method for EF. Specifically, only inhibitory control was related to the constructs when EF was assessed based on the performance-based measures. Meanwhile, EF assessed based on the behavioral ratings, including all dimensions of the BRIEF-2, were selectively associated with coping and social skills, mainly when the evaluation was performed by the teachers. Finally, structural equation models (SEM) showed that inhibitory control had direct effects on coping and social skills. However, when EF was assessed based on ratings, differences were observed between the teachers' and parents' reports. These results reveal the varying effects of EF on coping and social skills depending not only on the modality of assessment but also on the informant, emphasizing the relevance of comprehensive EF evaluation; they also provide relevant information regarding the relationship between EF and coping and social skills in children.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the BRIEF-2 Parent and Teacher Form: Relationship to Performance-Based Measures of Executive Functions and Academic Achievement.

We conducted two empirical studies to (1) explore the dimensionality of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2 (BRIEF-2) parent and teacher forms, (2) examine the association between the parent and teacher reports, and (3) analyze the relationship between the BRIEF-2 ratings and performance-based measures of executive functions (EFs) (including working memory, inhibition, and shifting tasks) and academic achievement in children. In Study 1 (n = 212 parents; n = 111 teachers), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that a three-factor solution that included the indices of (1) behavior regulation, (2) emotion regulation, and (3) cognitive regulation best fit the data. In Study 2 (n = 275 8- to 12-year-old Spanish-speaking children), selective and low correlations were found between performance- and rater-based measures of EFs. In addition, low to moderate correlations were found between parent and teacher reports. However, the three indices of both forms of the BRIEF-2 were associated with the diverse academic domains analyzed, although differences emerged depending on the informant (teacher vs. parent). Our results support the hypothesis that the two EF measures document different underlying processes. The clinical and educational implications of considering both perspectives in the assessment of EFs in children with typical development and in children with neurodevelopmental disorders are discussed.