Assessing Executive Functioning in Higher Education: Development and Structural Validation of the EFEES Scale

Samuel Zamora Lugo¹Vicenta Reynoso-Alcántara^1*Javier Sanchez-Lopez²Samana Vergara-Lope¹Elizabeth Ocampo-Gómez¹María Luisa García-Gomar³Cynthia Torres González⁴Gloria Nélida Avecilla-Ramírez⁵Cintli Carolina Carbajal-Valenzuela⁵Melissa Calderón⁵Paola Almitra Vázquez-Moreno⁶Rubén Flores-Gonzáles¹Carlos Contreras-Ibáñez⁷Félix Ángel Montero-Domínguez¹Aurora De Jesús Mejía-Castillo¹Alicia Abundis-Gutierrez⁸José Elías Sánchez-Cid⁹Iliana Osorio-Guzmán⁹Gregorio García- Aguilar⁹Agustín Jaime Negrete-Cortes³Naghelli Cisneros Báez¹⁰Luz María Martell Ruiz¹⁰Paulina Campos Romero¹¹Rossana de Fátima Cuevas- Ferrera¹¹

• ¹Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
• ²Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores campus Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, Mexico
• ³Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Mexico
• ⁴Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas, Sociales e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Mexico
• ⁵Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
• ⁶Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico
• ⁷Departamento de Sociología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, Mexico
• ⁸Departamento de Ciencias del Comportamiento, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
• ⁹Facultad de Psicología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
• ¹⁰Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
• ¹¹Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán3, Mexico

Executive functions are essential cognitive processes that support goal-directed behavior, self-regulation, and academic performance in higher education. However, few assessment tools provide psychometrically validated and contextually appropriate measures for university populations. This study presents the development and structural validation of the Executive Functions Scale in Higher Education (EFEES), a self-report instrument designed to evaluate university students’ self-perceived executive functioning. The scale was developed through a theory-driven approach that defined ten core dimensions, validated behavioral indicators with expert input, and generated positively framed items tailored to the academic context. A total of 1,538 undergraduate students from twelve Mexican universities (M = 20.6, SD = 1.69) completed the instrument. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a four-factor structure—organization, self-control, attentional and inhibitory control, and planning and time management—accounting for 38% of the variance. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency across factors (Cronbach’s α = .84–.97; McDonald’s ω = .84–.99). Findings confirm the structural validity and reliability of the EFEES and highlight its utility in identifying executive-function profiles associated with students’ cognitive and academic development. Although initially validated in a Mexican sample, the EFEES was conceptually designed for cross-cultural applicability and can be adapted to diverse higher education contexts. The scale offers a theoretically grounded, psychometrically sound, and practically relevant tool for research and educational interventions aimed at supporting student success.