Psychometric properties of the BRIEF2A: Does it fit better than BRIEF-A?

Objective: The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult version is a rating scale that evaluates everyday behaviors associated with executive functions. The second edition (BRIEF2A) of the instrument was recently published in the USA, proposing a new factor structure in which the nine clinical scales were organized into three composite indexes (instead of two composite indexes in the previous edition [BRIEF-A]). This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the new factor structure of the BRIEF2A. It is the first study that analyzed whether the changes made in BRIEF2A improved the psychometric properties of the self-report and informant report forms compared to the BRIEF-A in a non-English speaking sample.

Method: Participants were 548 healthy Portuguese adults (18 to 90 years, mean age of 52.01 ± 19.27, 56.8% women) who completed the self-report form and their respective 548 informants who answered the informant report form.

Results: We found a small influence of sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, and education level) on the raw scores of the clinical scales. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare both factor structures, and the three-correlated-factor model of the BRIEF2A showed a slightly better model fit than the two-correlated-factor model of the BRIEF-A for both forms. The BRIEF2A also showed adequate internal consistency. The measurement invariance of the BRIEF2A across forms and sex was fully supported (configural, metric, and scalar invariance).

Conclusions: The BRIEF2A demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, and our findings found support for the factor structure proposed in the second edition of the instrument.