Findings provide evidence for unique relations between SCT symptoms and positive valence systems at the self-reported level.

Depressive symptoms remained uniquely associated with greater reward valuation but less expectancy, willingness to work, initial, and sustained response to reward.

SCT symptoms were not uniquely related to initial or sustained response to reward.

SCT symptoms were uniquely related to greater reward valuation and expectancy, but with less willingness to work for reward.

Large sample of young adults recruited from multiple universities completed self-report measure of SCT, psychopathology symptoms, and various measures of positive valence systems.

Abstract

Background Research has started conceptualizing sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) within the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), but no study has tested SCT symptomatology in relation to the positive valence systems.

Methods Participants (N = 4,679; 18–29 years; M = 19.08, SD = 1.36; 69% female; 80.9% White) enrolled in six universities in the United States completed self-reported measures of positive valence systems, SCT, and psychopathology dimensions.

Results SCT symptoms were uniquely associated with greater reward valuation and expectancy of reward, but less willingness to work for reward. SCT symptoms were not uniquely related to initial and sustained response to reward. Conversely, depressive symptoms remained uniquely associated with greater reward valuation but less expectancy, willingness to work, initial, and sustained response to reward.

Limitations The present study included a relatively homogenous sample of college-age students, solely relied on self-report measures of the positive valence systems, and analyses were conducted cross-sectionally.