Abstract
Interest in measuring variables that might explain the difference between children’s ability and knowledge and their actual performance in the classroom on tests or on the playground has been of increasing interest to researchers, educators, psychologists, and mental health professionals (Goldstein & Naglieri, 2013). Increasingly, evaluators are focused upon explaining the processes and abilities that facilitate acquisition of knowledge. Interest in the mental application of human brain behavior relationships has, to a significant degree, driven interest in phenomena like executive function. Nonetheless, this concept is in a relatively early stage of development (McCloskey, Perkins, & Van Divner, 2009). As in all areas of science, what is discovered depends upon the quality of the instruments used and the information provided. Thus, as interest in executive function and its impact upon children’s development has grown, so has an interest in developing valid and reliable instruments. The better the assessment tool, the more valid and reliable decisions made, the more useful information obtained, ultimately greater benefit derived by children in need.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdi, H. (2010). Congruence: Congruence coefficient, RV coefficient, and mantel coefficient. In N. J. Salkind, D. M. Dougherty, & B. Frey (Eds.), Encyclopedia of research design (pp. 222–229). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Best, J. R., Miller, P. H., & Jones, L. L. (2009). Executive functions after age 5: Changes and correlates. Developmental Review, 29, 180–200.
Best, J. R., Miller, P. H., & Naglieri, J. A. (2011). Relations between executive function and academic achievement from ages 5 to 17 in a large, representative national sample. Learning and Individual Differences, 21, 327–336.
Davidson, M. C., Amso, D., Anderson, L. C., & Diamond, A. (2006). Development of cognitive control and executive functions from 4–13 years: Evidence from manipulations of memory, inhibition, and task switching. Neuropsychologia, 44, 2037–2078.
Duncan, J., & Miller, E. K. (2002). Cognitive focusing through adaptive neural coding in the primate prefrontal cortex. In D. Stuss & R. T. Knight (Eds.), Principles of frontal lobe function (pp. 278–291). New York: Oxford University Press.
Friedman, N. P., Miyake, A., Corley, R. P., Young, S. E., DeFries, J. C., & Hewitt, J. K. (2006). Not all executive functions are related to intelligence. Psychological Science, 17, 172–179.
Gilbert, S. J., Bird, G., Brindley, R., Frith, C. D., & Burgess, P. W. (2008). Atypical recruitment of medial prefrontal cortex in autism spectrum disorders: An fMRI study of two executive function tasks. Neuropsychologia, 46, 2281–2291.
Gioia, G. A., Isquith, P. K., Guy, S. C., & Kenworthy, L. (2000). Behavior rating inventory of executive function: Professional manual. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment.
Goldstein, S. (2013). The science of intelligence testing: Commentary on the evolving nature of interpretations of the Wechsler scales. Journal of Psychoeducaitonal Assessment, 31, 132–137.
Guy, S. C., Isquith, P. K., & Gioia, G. A. (2004). Behavior rating inventory of executive function: Self report version. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
Happé, F., Booth, R., Charlton, R., & Hughes, C. (2006). Executive function deficits in autism spectrum disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Examining profiles across domains and ages. Brain and Cognition, 61, 25–39.
Herba, C. M., Tranah, T., Rubia, K., & Yule, W. (2006). Conduct problems in adolescence: Three domains of inhibition and effect of gender. Developmental Neuropsychology, 30, 659–695.
Jensen, P. S. (2001). Clinical equivalence: A step, a misstep, or just a misnomer? Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 8, 436–440.
Jurado, M. B., & Rosselli, M. (2007). The elusive nature of executive functions: A review of our current understanding. Neuropsychology Review, 17, 213–233.
Kaufman, A. S. (1994). Intelligent testing with the WISC-III. New York: Wiley.
LeBuffe, P. A., & Naglieri, J. A. (2003). Devereux early childhood assessment clinical form (DECA-C). Lewisville, NC: Kaplan Press.
McCloskey, G., Perkins, L. A., & Van Divner, B. (2009). Assessment and intervention for executive function difficulties. School-based practice in action series. New York, NY: Routledge Taylor & Francis.
Miller, E. K., & Cohen, J. D. (2001). An integrative theory of prefrontal cortex function. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 24, 167–202.
Miyake, A., Friedman, N. P., Emerson, M. J., Witzki, A. H., Howerter, A., & Wagner, T. D. (2000). The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex “frontal lobe” tasks: A latent variable analysis. Cognitive Psychology, 41, 49–100.
Morgan, A. B., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2000). A meta-analytic review of the relation between antisocial behavior and neuropsychological measures of executive function. Clinical Psychology Review, 20, 113–136.
Müller, U., Lieberman, D., Frye, D., & Zelazo, P. D. (2008). Executive function, school readiness, and school achievement. In S. K. Thurman & C. A. Fiorello (Eds.), Applied cognitive research in K-3 classrooms (pp. 41–84). New York: Routledge.
Naglieri, J. A. (2000). Can profile analysis of ability test scores work? An illustration using the PASS theory and CAS with an unselected cohort. School Psychology Quarterly, 15, 419–433.
Naglieri, J. A. (2011). The discrepancy/consistency approach to SLD identification using the PASS theory. In D. P. Flanagan & V. C. Alfonso (Eds.), Essentials of specific learning disability identification (pp. 145–172). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Naglieri, J. A., & Goldstein, S. (2011). Assessment of cognitive and neuropsychological processes. In S. Goldstein & J. A. Naglieri (Eds.), Understanding and managing learning disabilities and ADHD in late adolescence and adulthood (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.
Naglieri, J. A., & Goldstein, S. (2013). Comprehensive Executive Functioning Index. Toronto: Multi Health Systems.
Naglieri, J. A., & Das, J. P. (1997). Cognitive assessment system. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Naglieri, J. A., Das, J. P., & Goldstein, S. (2013). Cognitive assessment system—Second edition. Austin, TX: ProEd.
Naglieri, J. A., & Goldstein, S. (2013). Evaluation and treatment effectiveness in the field of autism: Psychometric considerations and an illustration, in S. Goldstein and J.A. Naglieri handbook of autism treatment. New York: Springer.
Naglieri, J. A., & Gottling, S. H. (1995). A cognitive education approach to math instruction for the learning disabled: An individual study. Psychological Reports, 76, 1343–1354.
Naglieri, J. A., LeBuffe, P. A., & Pfeiffer, S. I. (1994). Devereux scales of mental disorders. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
Naglieri, J. A., McNeish, T. J., & Bardos, A. N. (1991). Draw a person: Screening procedure for emotional disturbance. Austin, TX: ProEd.
Naglieri, J. A., & Otero, T. M. (2012). The cognitive assessment system: From theory to practice. In D. P. Flanagan & P. L. Harrison (Eds.), Contemporary intellectual assessment, third edition: Theories, tests, and issues (pp. 376–399). New York: Guilford.
Naglieri, J. A., & Pickering, E. B. (2010). Helping children learn. Intervention handouts for use in school and at home (2nd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Ogles, B. M., Lunnen, K. M., & Bonesteel, K. (2001). Clinical significance: History, application, and current practice. Clinical Psychology Review, 21, 421–446.
Raiche, G., & Magis, D. (2010). nFactors: Parallel analysis and non graphical solutions to the Cattell Scree Test. R package version 2.3.2. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=nFactors
Revelle, W. (2011). Psych: Procedures for personality and psychological research. Northwestern University, Evanston. R. package version 1.1.12.
Revelle, W., & Rocklin, T. (1979). Very simple structure: An alternative procedure for estimating the optimal number of interpretable factors. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 14, 403–414.
Reynolds, C. R., & Kamphaus, R. W. (1992). BASC: Behavioral assessment system for children. San Antonio: Pearson.
Sadeh, S. S., Burns, M. K., & Sullivan, A. L. (2012). Examining an Executive Function Rating Scale as a predictor of achievement in children at risk for behavior problems. School Psychology Quarterly, 27, 236–246.
Slocum-Gori, S. L., & Zumbo, B. D. (2011). Assessing the unidimensionality of psychological scales: Using multiple criteria from factor analysis. Social Indicators Research, 102, 443–461.
Solomon, M., Ozonoff, S. J., Ursu, S., Ravizza, S., Cummings, N., Ly, S., et al. (2009). The neural substrates of cognitive control deficits in autism spectrum disorders. Neuropsychologia, 47, 2515–2526.
Velicer, W. F., Eaton, C. A., & Fava, J. L. (2000). Construct explication through factor or component analysis: A review and evaluation of alternative procedures for determining the number of factors or components. In R. D. Goffin & E. Helmes (Eds.), Problems and solutions in human assessment: Honoring Douglas N. Jackson at seventy (pp. 41–72). Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic.
Wechsler, D. (2003). Wechsler intelligence scale for children—4th edition (WISC-IV®). San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Assessment.
Weyandt, L. L., Willis, W. G., Swentosky, A., Wilson, K., Janusis, G. M., & Marshall, S. (in press). A review of the use of executive function tasks in externalizing and internalizing disorders. In S. Goldstein, & J. A. Naglieri (Eds.), Comprehensive handbook of executive functioning. New York, NY: Springer.
Wiebe, S. A., Espy, K. A., & Charak, D. (2008). Using confirmatory factor analysis to understand executive control in preschool children: I. Latent structure. Developmental Psychology, 44, 575–587.
Willcutt, E. G., Doyle, A. E., Nigg, J. T., Faraone, S. V., & Pennington, B. F. (2005). Validity of the executive function theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analytic review. Biological Psychiatry, 57, 1336–1346.
Woodcock, R. W., McGrew, K. S., & Mather, N. (2001). Woodcock-Johnson III. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing.
Zelazo, P. D., & Müller, U. (2002). Executive function in typical and atypical development. In U. Goswami (Ed.), Handbook of childhood cognitive development (pp. 445–469). Oxford: Blackwell.
Zwick, W. R., & Velicer, W. F. (1986). Comparison of five rules for determining the number of components to retain. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 432–442.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Naglieri, J.A., Goldstein, S. (2014). Using the Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory (CEFI) to Assess Executive Function: From Theory to Application. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J. (eds) Handbook of Executive Functioning. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8106-5_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8106-5_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-8105-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-8106-5
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)