Ecological Assessment of Executive Functions in Grocery Shopping: A Pilot Study for ABI Training

Introduction: Acquired brain injury (ABI) can significantly impair executive functions (EFs), which are essential for controlling and regulating actions. This impairment makes everyday tasks, such as grocery shopping, particularly challenging for individuals with ABI. This study aims to conduct a pilot investigation to analyze the shopping strategies of control individuals without ABI. The objective is to adapt this ecological assessment method for individuals with ABI and design an EF training program.

Method: For the pilot study, 16 subjects were recruited through word-of-mouth and social networks. The sample included men and women aged 18 to 65 years without brain damage or neurological pathologies. Two tools were implemented to register participant performance. A supermarket plan was uploaded to the Samsung photo editor, where participants' routes were mapped, providing graphical information about their performance. A list of products was created on Notion to record which products were collected and when, facilitating detailed analysis of participant performance during the shopping task.

Results: The mean and standard deviation of section entries (M=1.42, SD=0.5), products acquired (M=12.9, SD=3), and total shopping time (M=16.11, SD=4) were obtained. The use of these tools enabled precise tracking of participant actions, confirming the feasibility of the method.

Conclusions: The method of ecologically evaluating EF and shopping strategies, supported by these tools, is feasible and provides valid information for cognitive skills training in ABI individuals. This pilot study offers promising results for future interventions.