Hyperactivity-Impulsivity (SCT)

Over the past fifteen years, there has been a growing interest in the Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) construct, which is characterized by symptoms of excessive daydreaming, mental fogginess, hypoactivity, lethargy, mental confusion, and apathy (see Becker, Marshall, & McBurnett, 2014). Some earlier research suggested that SCT may facilitate the identification of individuals who show attentional problems, but few or no symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity (Carlson & Mann, 2002). However, as the literature has grown, a number of studies conducted with children (Barkley, 2013; Becker, Luebbe, Fite, Stoppelbein, & Greening, 2014; Garner et al., 2014; Lee, Burns, Snell, & McBurnett, 2014; Penny et al., 2009; Willcutt et al., 2014) and adults (Barkley,

In a nationally representative sample of adults, Barkley (2012) found SCT symptoms to be significantly associated with EF in daily life above and beyond ADHD symptoms, and SCT symptoms were more strongly related than ADHD symptoms to problems in self-organization/problem solving, self-restraint, and emotion regulation; ADHD inattention symptoms were more strongly related than SCT symptoms to time management and self-motivation. Jarrett and colleagues (2014) recently expanded upon these findings by examining SCT symptoms in relation to college students’ EF ratings after controlling for ADHD symptoms as well as sleep problems and depression symptoms. Both SCT and ADHD symptoms were uniquely associated with EF deficits, including self-regulation of emotion, self-motivation, time management, organization and problem solving, and self-restraint (Jarrett et al., 2014). In a similar study, Wood and colleagues (2014) found that SCT accounted for more variance than ADHD, depression, or anxiety symptoms in overall EF deficits. The present study aims to replicate the Jarrett et al. (2014) and Wood et al. (2014) studies and hypothesized that SCT symptoms would be significantly associated with EF problems in college students, even after controlling for ADHD, anxiety, and depressive

Studies of ADHD and EF in adulthood have found evidence that deficits in EF may act as a mechanism between ADHD symptoms and academic impairments. For example, a recent study examined EF and academic achievement in adults who did and did not meet criteria for ADHD. Significantly more adults with ADHD had deficits in EF than subjects without ADHD, however deficits of EF were associated with lower academic achievement, irrespective of ADHD status (Biederman et al., 2006). Similarly, authors have argued that deficits in EF may be central to the relationship between ADHD and academic impairment, specifically the relationship between inattention and EF (Daley & Birchwood, 2010). Further research has posited that EF impairments are not present in all individuals with ADHD. Sonuga-Barke (2002) proposed a dual-pathway model of ADHD, suggesting that one pathway of ADHD is driven by EF impairments. The second pathway accounts for individuals who show aversion to delay. Thorell (2007) tested the dual pathway model on early academic skills in kindergarten children. Results from the study illustrated that delay aversion was related to symptoms of ADHD-hyperactivity/impulsivity, whereas EF deficits were only related with symptoms of ADHD-inattention. Additionally, symptoms of inattention, but not