Can Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Be Distinguished From
ADHD Inattention in Very Young Children? Evidence
From a Sample of Korean Preschool Children
Lee, S., Burns, G. L., Becker, S. P.
Journal of Attention Disorders (2016)
doi: 10.1177/1087054716680077
Objective:
This study evaluated whether sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is separable from ADHD–inattention (IN) and
uniquely associated with internalizing dimensions in preschool children in South Korea.
Method:
Mothers of 172 preschool children (ages 4-6 years; 52% girls) rated children’s SCT, ADHD-IN, ADHD–
hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), aggression, emotional reactivity,
anxiety/depression, somatic complaints, withdrawal, and sleep problems.
Results:
Eight of 10 SCT symptoms showed convergent and discriminant validity with ADHD-IN. ADHD-IN remained
significantly positively associated with ADHD-HI, ODD, and aggressive behavior after controlling for SCT,
whereas SCT was no longer positively associated with these externalizing behaviors after controlling for ADHDIN. Both SCT and ADHD-IN were uniquely associated with greater emotionally reactivity, anxiety/depression, and
withdrawal. Only SCT was uniquely associated with somatic complaints, and only ADHD-IN was uniquely
associated with sleep problems.
Conclusion:
Findings replicate results with children and adolescents, thus expanding evidence for the validity of SCT in early
development.