Psychometric Assessment of the Executive Function Scale for Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Using Item Response Theory

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor at the National Center for Examinations and Educational Evaluation.

Abstract

The study aimed to psychometrically evaluate the Executive Function Scale for Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) using Item Response Theory. The study sample, consisting of 210 participants, was selected through cluster random sampling from Nasr City. Incomplete questionnaires were excluded from participation in the study. The researcher employed a descriptive-analytical approach, deemed suitable for the study's subject matter to gather and analyze the data. The Executive Function Scale for Childhood was utilized. The results revealed that the largest eigenvalue, reaching 15.212, corresponds to the first factor, explaining 24.146% of the total explained variance. This suggests that the primary factor significantly influences the relationship between the scale's items, indicating a unidimensional interpretation of the scale. Furthermore, the results indicate that the unidimensionality of the test items can serve as a strong indicator of the local independence of these items, meaning they measure a single aspect of the intended construct without interfering with other aspects. The scale items were graded by difficulty, with nearly equal discrimination, supporting the unidimensionality assumption. The difficulty was found to be the influencing factor, indicating that the harder the item, the lower the likelihood of the individual answering it correctly. The discrimination coefficient was the same for all items. The estimated item location ranged from -0.34 to -0.49. Internal and external fit values (MnSq) for all scale items fell within the range of 0.6 to 1.1, suggesting that all items worked in the same direction in predicting the latent trait. Additionally, the standard errors (SE) for all items were 0.06, and the statistics were stable with model fit.

Keywords

References

Abu Jarad, Hamdi Younis (2016). Development of the Oxford Happiness Inventory: A psychometric study in item response theory. Educational Journal, 30 (118), 109-140
El Welily, Ismail (2002). A comparative psychometric study of some item response models in selecting items for benchmark tests. Doctoral thesis, Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Education.
 
Khalaf, Mustafa Ali (2019). Using the test item response theory in constructing a measure of the attitude toward the teaching profession. Journal of Research in Education and Psychology, Faculty of Education, Minya University, 34 (1), 1-47
Dabbous, Muhammad (2016). Using item response theory in constructing test items for a spoken reference test in mathematics with dual-graded and multi-graded items according to the two-teacher logistic model. An-Najah University Journal of Research (Human Sciences), 30(7), 1453 – 1480
Saeed, Mohamed Hatem (2018). The effectiveness of using the rating scale model in analyzing the items of the Big Five Personality Factors Scale among students at Taiz University. Journal of Educational Sciences and Human Studies, No. (4), 62-92.
Amer, Abdel Nasser Al-Sayed, Awad, Nadia Abdo, Fathallah, Muhammad Muhammad, Jassim, Khaled Jamal, Issa, Murad Ali, Musa Mahmoud Ali, 2021) (2021) Psychometric properties of the Panic Attacks Scale from the Corona Pandemic (19-COVlD) In Arab Society, Iraqi Society for Educational and Psychological Studies 30: 1-26
Allam, Saladin (2005). Response models for unidimensional and multidimensional test items and their applications in psychological and educational measurement. (1st edition). Cairo, Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi.
Allam, Saladin (2011). Educational and psychological measurement and evaluation, its basics, applications and contemporary directions. 5th edition, Cairo: Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi.
 
 
 
 
 
ثالثا، المراجع الاجنبية
Adams DJ, Bolt DM, Deng S, Smith SS, Baker TB. (2019).Using multidimensional item response theory to evaluate how response styles impact measurement. Br J Math Stat Psychol,72(3):466-485. doi: 10.1111/bmsp.12169
Akkermans,W.&Muraki,E.(1997). Item Information And Discrimination Functions For Trinary PCM Items. Psychometrika 62(4),569-578.
Banna, A. E& Eissa, M.(2019). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Insights from DSM-5. Psycho-Educational Research Reviews, (Special Issue8), 25 –29. Retrieved from https://www.perrjournal.com/index.php/perrjournal/article/view/169
Barkley, R. A. (1997). ADHD and the nature of self-control. New York, NY: Guilford.
Bond, T., & Fox, C. (2007). Applying the Rasch model: Fundamental measurement in the human sciences (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Cagnone,S.&Ricci,R.(2005).Student Ability Assessment Based on Two IRT Models. Metodoloˇski zvezki,2(2),209-218.
Chakravarty EF, Bjorner JB& Fries JF. (2007)Improving patient reported outcomes using item response theory and computerized adaptive testing. J Rheumatol. ,34(6):1426-31. 
Christensen KB, Makransky G,& Horton M. (2017).Critical Values for Yen's Q3: Identification of Local Dependence in the Rasch Model Using Residual Correlations. Appl Psychol Meas. ,41(3):178-194. doi: 10.1177/0146621616677520.
Diamond, A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135-68. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750
 Diamond, A. (2020). Executive functions. In J.L. Michaud, C. Bulteau, D. Cohen, & A. Gallagher (Eds.), Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 173, 225-240. Amsterdam: Elsevier. ISBN:978-0444641502
Doyle, A. E., Willcutt, E. G., Seidman, L. J., Biederman, J., Chouinard, A., Silva, J., et al. (2005). Biological Psychiatry, 57, 1324–1335.
Eissa, M. A. (2017). The effects of Cassady and Justin‘s Functional Model for Emotional Information Processing on Improving Social Competence of First Grade Children with ADHD. Psycho-Educational Research Reviews, 6(1), 86–94. Retrieved from https://www.perrjournal.com/index.php/perrjournal/article/view/288
García-Madruga, J.A., Gómez-Veiga, I., & Vila, J.O. (2016). WM executive processes and the improvement of thinking abilities: The intervention in reading comprehension. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 58. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00058
Georgiev,N.(2008): Item Analysis of C, D and E Series from Raven′s Standard Progressive Matrices With Item Response Theory Two Parameter Logistic Model. Europe's Journal of Psychology,8,1-17.
Hambleton, R. K., & Swaminathan, H. (1995). Item Response Theory: Principles and Applications. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Hambleton, R.K., Swaminathan, H., and Rogers, H.J. (1991). Fundamentals of Item Response Theory. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Lim, L.; Lim, S.H.; Lim, W.Y.R. A (2022).Rasch Analysis of Students’ Academic Motivation toward Mathematics in an Adaptive Learning System. Behav. Sci., 12, 244. https://doi.org/10.3390/ bs12070244
Mashhadi A, Maleki ZH, Hasani J, Rasoolzadeh Tabatabaei K, Saleh S. (2023)Psychometric properties of the childhood executive functioning inventory (CHEXI): A confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance by sex and age in Iranian children. Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2023 Apr;33(3):409-427. doi: 10.1080/09602011.2021.2021952. 
 
Marie , T. Willoughby, J & Clancy B. (2016). The Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI): Factor structure, measurement invariance, and correlates in US preschoolers, Child Neuropsychology, DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2016.1247795
Meijer, R. R., & Tendeiro, J. N. (2018). Unidimensional item response theory. In P. Irwing, T. Booth, & D. J. Hugh (Eds.), The Wiley handbook of psychometric testing : A multidisciplinary reference on survey, scale and test development (pp. 413-433). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118489772.ch15
Miyake, A. & Friedman, N. P. (2012). The Nature and Organization of Individual Differences in Executive Functions: Four General Conclu-sions. Curr Dir Psychol Sci., 21, 8–14. doi: 10.1177/0963721411429458
Moullin JC, Ehrhart MG, Aarons GA.(2018) Development and testing of the Measure of Innovation-Specific Implementation Intentions (MISII) using Rasch measurement theory. Implement Sci. 2018 Jun 28;13(1):89. doi: 10.1186/s13012-018-0782-1.
Ogunsakin, I. B., & Shogbesan, Y. O. (2018). Item Response Theory (IRT): A Modern Statistical Theory for Solving Measurement Problem in 21st Century. International Journal of Scientific Research in Education, 11(3B), 627-635. Retrieved [DATE] from http://www.ijsre.com
Pallant JF,& Tennant A.(2007) An introduction to the Rasch measurement model: an example using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Br Journal of Clinical Psychol.,46(Pt 1):1-18. doi: 10.1348/014466506x96931. 
Papini N, Kang M, Ryu S, Griese E, Wingert T & Herrmann S. (2021).Rasch calibration of the 25-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Journal of Health Psychol. ;26(11):1976-1987. doi: 10.1177/1359105320904769. Epub 2020 Feb 5. PMID: 32022589.
Reeve,B.(2004).An Introduction To Modern Measurement Theory. Divition Of Cancer Control And Population Science, National Cancer Institute
Sellbom, M& Suhr,J.(2019). The Cambridge handbook of clinical assessment and diagnosis. University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, United Kingdom.
Smith, E., Conrad, K., Chang, K., & Piazza, J. (2002). An introduction to Rasch measurement for scale development and person assessment. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 10(3), 189-206.
Tennant A& Conaghan PG. (2007)The Rasch measurement model in rheumatology: what is it and why use it? When should it be applied, and what should one look for in a Rasch paper? Arthritis Rheum.   15;57(8):1358-62. doi: 10.1002/art.23108.
Thissen, D., & Edwards, M.C. ( 2005). Diagnostic scores augmented using multidimensional item response theory: Preliminary investigation of MCMC strategies. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 12-14.
Thorell LB, Eninger L, Brocki KC &Bohlin G. (2010).Childhood executive function inventory (CHEXI): a promising measure for identifying young children with ADHD? Journal of Clinical Exp Neuropsychol.;32(1):38-43. doi: 10.1080/13803390902806527.
Thorell, L.B. & Nyberg, L. (2008). The Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI): A New Rating Instrument for Parents and Teachers. Developmental Neuropsychology, 33, 536-552. https://doi.org/10.1080/87565640802101516
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.
Yen, W. (1992).Scaling performance assessments: Strategies for managing local item dependence. Journal of Educational Measurement, 30 (3), 187-213.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics