Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and Speed of Performance

Abstract

Objective: This study examined whether college students who reported higher levels of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms were actually more “sluggish” in their performance while completing speeded cognitive and academic measures. Method: College students ( N = 253) completed self-reports of SCT and their reading and test-taking abilities as well as tests of processing speed, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Results: Across all variables, SCT symptoms were most significantly associated with self-reported difficulty on timed reading tasks. However, students with high SCT scores were not significantly slower than controls on any of the timed tasks. Conclusion: In college students, self-reports of high SCT levels do not suggest actual slow performance on cognitive and academic tasks.