Psychological Assessment, Vol 38(8), Aug 2026, 532-546; doi:10.1037/pas0001487
Executive function (EF) refers to a set of higher order cognitive skills that undergo significant development during the preschool years and are linked to socioemotional and behavioral outcomes. EF is typically assessed through performance-based tasks (PBT) and informant ratings, such as the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Preschool (BRIEF-P) Version. However, cross-sectional studies often find low or nonsignificant associations between these two methods. This longitudinal study examined the concurrent and longitudinal associations between PBT and BRIEF-P across three time points, each 6 months apart. Participants were 110 preschool-aged children (36–47 months; M = 40.54, SD = 3.27; 48% female; 85% White) who completed five PBT at each time point. Parents also completed the BRIEF-P and provided socioemotional and behavioral ratings at Time 3. Growth models assessed associations between measurement methods, EF changes over time, and the prediction of outcomes. Consistent with prior findings, PBT composites and BRIEF-P parent rating correlations were low (−.30 to .03 with a median r = .07). Only PBT scores improved over time (β = .075, SE = .008, p