The structure of executive functions in athletes: a latent variable approach

Brimmell, Jack, Edwards, Elizabeth J, Uiga, Liis ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5371-9428, Wood, Greg ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0851-7090 and Vaughan, Robert S (2025) The structure of executive functions in athletes: a latent variable approach. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 78. 102808. ISSN 1469-0292

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Abstract

The role of executive function (EF) in expert sport performance has become a popular topic in sport and exercise psychology research. Research in this area often adopts the unity/diversity framework of EF (i.e., inhibition, shifting, and updating). However, recent investigations into the suitability of this unity/diversity model, and other competing models (e.g., the nested model of EF), has questioned whether this model is suitable for across all populations (e.g., athletes). The aim of the present study was to use confirmatory factor analysis to outline the most suitable EF model in a sample of athletes. In total, 131 participants with varying levels of athletic expertise completed two inhibition, shifting, and updating tasks. All analyses were performed in RStudio. The results revealed the nested model of EF provided the best fit to the data indicating its suitability for athletes. Acceptable fit was also found for the unity/diversity mode of EF. Overall, the results suggest that, despite recent criticism of the nested model and unity/diversity framework of EF, such structures appear to be suitable for use with athletic populations. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd.]