Psychometric validation of the Barkley SCT (sluggish cognitive tempo) scale in Turkish adolescents: Assessing SCT in a clinically referred, culturally distinct population.
The Turkish Barkley SCT scale is reliable and captures daydreaming and sluggishness factors apart from ADHD in referred teens.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers translated the Barkley Sluggish Cognitive Tempo scale into Turkish. They gave it to clinically referred teens in Turkey.
The team checked if the new version gave steady scores and if its two factors held up in this culture.
What they found
The Turkish scale showed good reliability. Daydreaming and sluggishness came out as two clear factors.
These factors sat apart from classic ADHD symptoms, giving clinicians a separate lens on attention problems.
How this fits with other research
Ekas et al. (2010) saw ADHD and aggression stick together in Japanese offenders. The new SCT tool may now let those same clinics tease out sluggish tempo from hyperactivity.
Aykan et al. (2020) built a sensory scale for adults. Both studies followed the same recipe: translate, test reliability, report factor structure. The SCT study extends that recipe to teens and a new construct.
Sappok et al. (2024) shortened an emotional-development scale for adults with ID. Like them, Hesna et al. offer clinicians a briefer, psychometrically sound option, but for SCT in adolescents.
Why it matters
If you assess Turkish-speaking teens, you now have a quick, valid screen for sluggish cognitive tempo. Use it to spot daydreamy kids who might miss an ADHD label yet still need support. Pair the scale with your go-to ADHD tools to see which factor—sluggishness or hyperactivity—drives the problem, then match your intervention to the right track.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
OBJECTIVE: Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) is characterized by excessive daydreaming, lethargy, slowed thinking, and mental confusion. This study aimed to examine the factorial structure, reliability, and validity of the Turkish version of the Barkley SCT Scale in a clinically referred adolescent sample, and to explore its distinctiveness from Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms. METHODS: The sample included 252 adolescents (aged 11-18, 71 % female) who completed the Turkish-adapted Barkley SCT Scale and the Conners-Wells Adolescent Self-Report Scale (CASS-S). A subsample of 20 adolescents completed the SCT scale again after one week for test-retest analysis. Data were analyzed using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), Cronbach's alpha, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs). Convergent validity and gender differences were also assessed. RESULTS: ESEM supported a two-factor structure, comprising Daydreaming (items 1-5) and Sluggishness (items 6-9), with excellent model fit (RMSEA =.044; CFI =.974; TLI =.964). Internal consistency was good for the total scale (α =.82) and acceptable for both subscales. Test-retest analyses showed moderate stability for single administrations (ICC =.454) and excellent reliability when repeated scores were aggregated (ICC =.937). Daydreaming was strongly associated with cognitive problems/inattention (r = .652), while Sluggishness showed weaker or nonsignificant correlations with hyperactivity/impulsivity, supporting SCT's distinction from externalizing ADHD features. Females scored significantly higher than males on both SCT subscales. CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the Barkley SCT Scale demonstrates sound psychometric properties for assessing SCT in adolescents. ESEM findings underscore the multidimensionality of SCT and its partial dissociation from ADHD constructs. While these results support the scale's clinical utility within the Turkish context, further cross-cultural research is needed to determine whether similar findings would emerge in other populations. This study provides an initial foundation for future diagnostic and intervention research.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105141