How Consistent Is Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Across Occasions, Sources, and Settings? Evidence From Latent State–Trait Modeling

Abstract

Research has yet to determine how much of the true score variance in sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptom ratings is consistent across occasions, sources, and settings versus specific to occasion, source, and setting (i.e., a trait or state-like construct). Our first objective was to determine the amount of variance in SCT ratings that was consistent (trait consistency) across three occasions of measurement over 12-months versus specific to the occasion (occasion-specificity) with ratings by mothers, fathers, primary teachers, and secondary teachers of 811 Spanish children. Our second objective was then to determine the convergent validity for trait consistency and occasion-specificity variance components within and across settings. SCT ratings reflected mostly trait consistency for mothers, fathers, and primary teachers (less so for secondary teachers) with the convergent validity for trait consistency also being strong for mothers with fathers and for primary teachers with secondary teachers. Across home and school, however, convergent validity for trait consistency was low and even lower for occasion-specificity. Although SCT symptoms showed similar levels of trait consistency across occasions and convergent validity within settings as ADHD symptoms in a prior study, SCT symptoms had slightly weaker convergent validity for trait consistency across settings relative to ADHD symptoms.

Differential impact of trait sluggish cognitive tempo and ADHD inattention in early childhood on adolescent functioning

“…In addition, trait variance increased as children progressed from preschool through early elementary school. The mean trait variance for SCT and ADHD-IN (65% and 61%, respectively) across four measurement occasions in this study was very similar to two other studies that examined trait variance for SCT and ADHD-IN (69% for both factors) as well as ODD symptoms (67%) and callous-unemotional traits (64%) in Spanish children across three occasions over a 12-month period starting in the spring of first grade (Litson, Geiser, Burns, & Servera, 2016;Preszler, Burns, Litson, Geiser, Servera, & Becker, 2017;Seijas, Servera, Garc ıa-Banda, Barry, & Burns, 2017). Thus, particularly once children are in formal schooling, both SCT and ADHD-IN are largely trait-like to a degree similar to some other psychopathologies.…”

“…consistency across occasions) reflects true score variance that is purely person-specific and independent of the occasion and/or person-occasion interaction while occasionspecific variance reflects true score variance that is specific to the occasion of measurement and/or person-occasion interaction. We predicted that the SCT and ADHD-IN symptom ratings would contain more trait than occasion-specific variance (Preszler, Burns, Litson, Geiser, Servera, & Becker, 2017).…”

Sluggish cognitive tempo and impairment: The role of lifestyle factors

“…Future studies would benefit from incorporating multiple informants and direct measures. The research would benefit further by following individuals with SCT over time to determine whether SCT is a stable trait for adolescent and adult samples as has been found in studies with children (Becker et al, 2015; Burns et al, 2019; Preszler et al, 2019) or whether SCT changes based upon environmental conditions the person is experiencing (e.g., caffeine, academic demands, work demands, sleep).…”

“…College students endorse substantially higher rates of elevated SCT behaviors than the general population (12–13%; Flannery, Becker, & Luebbe, 2016; Wood, Potts, Lewandowski, & Lovett, 2017). These estimates are based upon Barkley's (2011a) suggested clinically significant cutoff of 5 or more SCT behaviors occurring “often” or “very often.” Preliminary evidence suggests that while SCT behaviors are more related to the environmental demands (i.e., state) for preschool‐aged children (Burns, Becker, Geiser, Leopold, & Willcutt, 2019), several studies with children suggest that from kindergarten through elementary school, SCT behaviors appear consistent over time (i.e., trait; Becker et al, 2015; Burns et al, 2019; Preszler et al, 2019). Though there is some evidence that SCT behaviors may have more stable, trait‐like consistency over time, research has not yet investigated the question of whether SCT behaviors are more trait or state like in adolescence and adulthood.…”

Latent state-trait modeling

“…Definitions for this model are presented in Table 1. A multiple method LST model (Courvoisier et al, 2008; Litson, Geiser, Burns, & Servera, 2016; Preszler, Burns, Litson, Geiser, & Servera, 2016; Preszler et al, 2017) differs from a single method LST model by the simultaneous analysis of two or more methods of measurement (e.g., ratings). Including multiple methods in the same model (for example, information obtained from parent ratings and laboratory observations) makes it possible to study the convergent validity of trait and occasion-specific components across methods.…”