Measuring executive functioning with the Multidimensional Everyday Memory Ratings for Youth (MEMRY): concurrent validity with the BRIEF-2 in a large neurological and medical sample

Brian L Brooks; Sandra J Mish; William S MacAllister; Taryn B Fay-McClymont; Marsha Vasserman; Elisabeth M S Sherman

doi:10.1080/09297049.2024.2304376

Measuring executive functioning with the Multidimensional Everyday Memory Ratings for Youth (MEMRY): concurrent validity with the BRIEF-2 in a large neurological and medical sample

Child Neuropsychol. 2024 Feb 14:1-10. doi: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2304376. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Brian L Brooks¹, Sandra J Mish², William S MacAllister³, Taryn B Fay-McClymont⁴, Marsha Vasserman³, Elisabeth M S Sherman⁵

Affiliations

¹ Neurosciences Program, Alberta Children's Hospital Departments of Pediatrics, Clinical Neurosciences, and Psychology, University of Calgary, Child Brain and Mental Health Section, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada.
² Neurosciences Program, Alberta Children's Hospital.
³ Neurosciences Program, Alberta Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary Child Brain and Mental Health Section, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary.
⁴ Private Practice, Kelowna, British Columbia Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia Okanagan Neurosciences Program, Alberta Children's Hospital Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary Child Brain and Mental Health Section, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary.
⁵ Sherman Consulting and Assessment, Private Practice.

PMID: 38351897
DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2304376

Abstract

Executive skills are critical cognitive skills for everyday functioning in children; accurate measurement using validated tools is thus important. The purpose of this study was to examine concurrent validity between the MEMRY Executive/Working Memory scale and the BRIEF2. Participants included a large pediatric clinical sample who completed parent (n = 567), teacher (n = 148), and self-report (n = 88) scales. All correlations were significant between the MEMRY Executive/Working Memory and the BRIEF2 Global Executive Composite, Cognitive Regulation Index, and Working Memory scale (all r's > .80). Classification agreement metrics ranged from fair to excellent. This study provides evidence of strong concurrent validity of the MEMRY Executive/Working Memory scale as a brief, useful tool for assessing executive functioning using parent, teacher, and self-report versions.

Keywords: Children; adolescents; executive functioning; memory; working memory.