<p>Tests of item differentiation.</p>

Addressing the lack of culturally-appropriate assessment tools, this study adapted and validated the Executive Functioning Scale (EFS) for use within a Malaysian university student population. Utilizing a sample of 629 university students, we conducted a comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the adapted scale. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) supported a refined 50-item, six-factor structure that accounted for 65.87% of the total variance. Subsequent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that a second-order hierarchical model—in which the six first-order factors loaded onto a single, higher-order Executive Functioning construct—provided an excellent fit to the data (CMIN/df = 1.447, CFI = .976, RMSEA = .026). Critically, its fit was virtually indistinguishable from a more complex first-order model, strongly favoring the hierarchical conceptualization on the basis of parsimony. The scale also demonstrated strong discriminative validity, effectively differentiating between high- and low-performing groups across all dimensions. Collectively, the findings establish the Malaysian-adapted EFS as a robust and valid instrument for assessing the multifaceted nature of executive functioning. This research provides the first psychometrically sound tool for measuring executive functioning tailored to this population, offering a critical resource for future cross-cultural research, clinical diagnostics, and educational interventions. The validated scale facilitates a more nuanced understanding of cognitive constructs within a non-Western higher education context.

针对文化适配性评估工具的缺失，本研究对执行功能量表（Executive Functioning Scale，EFS）进行改编与验证，以适配马来西亚大学生群体的使用场景。本研究以629名大学生为样本，对改编后的量表开展了全面的心理测量学评估。探索性因素分析（Exploratory Factor Analysis，EFA）结果显示，经优化后的50条目六因素结构可解释总变异量的65.87%。后续的验证性因素分析（Confirmatory Factor Analysis，CFA）结果表明，二阶层级模型——即六个一阶因素载荷于单一高阶执行功能结构之上——对数据具有极佳的拟合效果（CMIN/df=1.447，CFI=0.976，RMSEA=0.026）。尤为关键的是，该模型的拟合效果与更复杂的一阶模型几乎无差异，基于简约性原则，二阶层级模型更具优势。该量表还展现出良好的区分效度，能够有效区分各维度上的高低绩效群体。综合来看，本研究结果表明，经马来西亚本土化改编的EFS是一款可靠且有效的工具，可用于评估执行功能的多维度特性。本研究首次为该群体提供了具备良好心理测量学属性的执行功能测评工具，为后续跨文化研究、临床诊断及教育干预提供了重要的研究资源。经过验证的量表有助于在非西方高等教育语境下更细致地理解认知结构。