Executive functions (EF) optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of behaviour, allowing for behaviours that are more goal-oriented, independent, purposive and conceptually driven. Effective EF is vital to human autonomy; higher levels of EF lead to more adaptive, hence successful life.

Several measures of EF exist, but most of them measure only a single aspect of EF or have been developed in clinical populations containing items that tap the extreme (pathological) ends of behaviour, which often do not apply to most healthy adults. Furthermore, while beliefs about maladaptive and dysfunctional behaviour can only exist in the context of beliefs about healthy, effective and efficient behaviour, a person's perception of the effects of executive dysfunctioning on daily life is a major determinant of the perceived quality of life.

To apply the above in the study of EF, we examined psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Executive Function Index (EFI), a self-report measure sampling a wide array of behavioural consequences in healthy individuals. It consists of 27 items, generated from recent literature concerning the relationships between EF and the prefrontal-subcortical systems. These items are divided into five subscales, named Motivational Drive, Organization, Impulse Control, Empathy, and Strategic Planning. Results lend support for the use of the EFI as a reliable self-report measure.

It is concluded that, in order to improve diagnostic accuracy and to contribute to differential diagnosis, we need instruments which consider the consequences of executive (dys)functioning on daily life in both healthy and psychiatric populations.