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A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Investigation of the External Correlates of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and ADHD-Inattention Symptoms Dimensions

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Abstract

The objective was to determine if the external correlates of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and ADHD-inattention (IN) dimensions were the same in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Teachers and aides rated SCT, ADHD-IN, ADHD-hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and depression along with academic impairment in 758 Spanish children (55 % boys) on three occasions (twice at the end of the first grade year [6-week separation] and then again 12-months later at the end of the second grade year). Three of eight SCT symptoms showed substantial loadings on the SCT factor and substantially higher loadings on the SCT factor than the ADHD-IN factor for teachers and aides at each assessment (seems drowsy, thinking is slow, and slow moving). Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses yielded similar results with SCT and ADHD-IN factors having different and unique external correlates (higher scores on SCT predicted lower scores on ADHD-HI and ODD while higher scores on ADHD-IN predicted higher scores on ADHD-HI and ODD with SCT and ADHD-IN both uniquely predicting academic impairment and depression). Developmental and methodological reasons are discussed for the failure to find an inconsistent alertness SCT factor (daydreams, alertness fluctuates, absent-minded, loses train of though, and confused).

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Notes

  1. Our purpose was to determine if SCT and ADHD-IN dimensions, two different types of attention problems in young children, have different and unique outcomes—that is, different and unique outcomes when the overlap between SCT and ADHD-IN is taken into account. If ADHD-HI was also used as a predictor along with SCT and ADHD-IN, then the research question significantly changes (i.e., Does the part of SCT that does not overlap with ADHD-IN and ADHD-HI as well as the part of ADHD-IN that does not overlap with SCT and ADHD-HI have unique and different outcomes?). Our analyses (Fig. 1) did not use ADHD-HI as a control variable for this reason. We did, however, repeat our longitudinal regression analysis (Fig. 1d) also controlling for ADHD-HI. The major change was that higher levels of SCT at assessment one now predicted higher levels of depression at assessment three after controlling for ADHD-IN and ADHD-HI while ADHD-IN at assessment one no longer predicted depression at assessment three after controlling for SCT and ADHD-HI.

  2. An exploratory two-factor model was also applied to the eight SCT symptoms and the five depression symptoms for the teachers and aides’ ratings for the three assessments (six separate analyses). Each symptom had primary loadings greater than 0.60 and secondary loadings less than 0.30. SCT and depression symptoms thus showed convergent and discriminant validity.

  3. If the ADHD-HI, ODD, and academic factors at assessment 3 were regressed on their respective factors at assessment 1, then neither the SCT or ADHD-IN factors at assessment one significantly predicted the ADHD-HI, ODD, and academic factors at assessment three above and beyond the ability of the assessment one factors ability to predict themselves at assessment three (ps > 0.05).

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Acknowledgements

A Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness grant PSI2011-23254 (Spanish Government) and a predoctoral fellowship co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Balearic Island Government (FPI/1451/2012) supported this research. We thank Cristina Trias and Cristina Solano for their help in data collection. We also thank Keith McBurnett for his assistance in the development of the Sluggish Cognitive Tempo rating scale.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of the Balearic Islands & Research Institute on Health Sciences (IUNICS), Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Maria del Mar Bernad, Mateu Servera & Gloria Grases

  2. University Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain

    Susana Collado

  3. Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4820, USA

    G. Leonard Burns

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  1. Maria del Mar Bernad
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  2. Mateu Servera
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  3. Gloria Grases
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  4. Susana Collado
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  5. G. Leonard Burns
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Correspondence to G. Leonard Burns.

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Bernad, M., Servera, M., Grases, G. et al. A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Investigation of the External Correlates of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and ADHD-Inattention Symptoms Dimensions. J Abnorm Child Psychol 42, 1225–1236 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9866-9

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