Developing a measure of sluggish cognitive tempo for children: content validity, factor structure, and reliability.

Full Abstract

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is a construct that some researchers believe may be extremely useful in understanding the inattentive subtype of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and may even help define a completely new disorder. However, the construct of SCT is as yet inadequately operationally or theoretically defined. The authors took the first steps toward developing an empirically supported measure of SCT in children. In Study 1, potential items to measure SCT were identified from a literature review, content validity of the items was evaluated by a group of experts, and a preliminary set of SCT items were selected. In Study 2, ratings completed by parents and teachers of 335 children (ages 4-13) were used to further develop and evaluate the SCT items by computing factor analyses, item-level analyses, reliability analyses, and preliminary validity analyses. The final SCT scale (14 items) produced a total scale score and 3 subscale scores: Slow, Sleepy, and Daydreamer. These scales were constructed with good content validity and were found to have strong reliability. Future directions include replication, extension into a clinical population, and further examination of validity. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Author information

Author/s: Penny, Ann Marie (AM); Waschbusch, Daniel A (DA); Klein, Raymond M (RM); Corkum, Penny (P); Eskes, Gail (G);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Ann.Penny(-atsign-)iwk.nshealth.ca

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Evaluation Studies; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Psychological assessment (Psychol Assess), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Sep; vol 21 (issue 3) : pp 380-9

Dates: Created 2009/09/01; Completed 2009/11/03;

PMID: 19719349, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/3/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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