Psychometric properties of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale in. Ewft were administered to 103 undergraduate students. It is a dimensional personality trait that varies in intensity from person to person. Frontiers machine learning increases diagnosticity in. Here, we report an investigation on the accuracy of the toronto alexithymia scale, a measure to assess alexithymia, a multidimensional construct often associate to fibromyalgia. Does family cohesiveness and parental alexithymia predict. Participants were administered type d personality scale ds14 and toronto alexithymia scale tas 20. The twenty item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 after a revised edition to the tas, a twentyitem version was devised. Two groups of participants, patients with fibromyalgia n 38, healthy controls n 38 were administered the toronto alexithymia scale and background tests. Alexithymia in parents and adolescent anorexic daughters. Furthermore, people with alexithymia have difficulty in distinguishing and appreciating the emotions of. Alexithymia is an important mental health construct, but there is continuing debate regarding its definition and measurement. The reliability and validity of the tas 20 was established by a series of articles.
In this research 398 patients with coronary heart disease 166 females and 232 males from the city of isfahan were selected using random sampling. Pdf cross validation of the factor structure of the 20item toronto. Take this online alexithymia selftest to find out whether you have the specific character construct that could be associated with a broad spectrum of mental disorders. As far as we know, there is only one study evaluating the psychometric properties of the tas 20 in a sample of 12 to 17yearold adolescents in finland. Psychometric properties of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale in a group of italian younger adolescents.
Thedatacollectionworksheetdcwisatooltoaidintegrationofaphenxprotocolintoa study. Italian 23 italy psychiatric and medical patients 642 0. The 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 the tas 20 is the most widely used assessment model and is a selfreport instrument consisting of 20 items to be rated on a fivepoint likert scale taylor et al. Alexithymia was assessed by the validated italian version of the alexithymia questionnaire for children aqc, a simplified form of the original adult questionnaire for alexithymia developed by bagby et al. The alexithymia questionnaire for children consists of 20 items that represent the three factors difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings and. Please answer the following questions, using the scale.
The contribution of alexithymia to obsessivecompulsive. The present study is aimed at examining the association between alexithymia and anxiety depression, stress, quality of life, and social support in chd patients. Alexithymia in foodallergic versus healthy children and. A random sample of 50 patients was reassessed at discharge. This free test takes only a couple of minutes to complete. A total of 220 participants aged 925 years were assessed using the toronto alexithymia scale and the alexithymia questionnaire for children. In may 2007 the online alexithymia questionnaire underwent a revision of nine questions 2, 7, 11, 12, 16, 23, 28, 33 having similarities to, or reproductions of, wordings in the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20, with duplications being replaced by more original phrasing. Twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas20 springerlink. Free 30 day trial inquisit lab has a builtin 30 day trial period during which the software is fully functional even if you havent purchased any licenses. Toronto alexithymia scale tas20 is a reliable and valid. Subjective and autonomic stress responses in alexithymia. It was developed in 1986 and later revised, removing some of the items. It is a 20item selfreport instrument rated on a 5point likertype scale ranging from 1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree. Total scores range from 20 to 100, with higher scores indicating higher level of alexithymia.
However, this scale was developed for a different purpose and does not aim primarily at assessing alexithymia with the rorschach. A study of the relationship of alexithymia and dissociative. We attempt to resolve this definitional uncertainty in two ways. Observerrated alexithymia and its relationship with the. To analyze the association between alexithymia and alcohol intake during adolescence, also in relation to psychopathology, in order to identify psychological risk factors for alcohol misuse. Taking the alexithymia questionnaire musings of an aspie. We have applied this scale to chilean university students and we performed analysis using different model testing procedures. The 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 is a selfreport questionnaire designed to measure the three components of alexithymia. Simply download and install inquisit, and the trial starts. It is a personality trait that varies in severity from person to person. The study involved a sample of 125 diabetic patients, among whom 50 had type 1 and 75 had type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with respectively 70 and 52 control subjects matched for age and sex. Toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 confused what emotion scale scale to rate how strongly the subject agrees or disagrees that heshe is often confused by what emotion heshe is feeling, as part of the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20. The 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20, the toronto structured interview for alexithymia tsia, and the levels of emotional awareness scale leas, which is a performancebased measure of.
Twentyfive years with the 20item toronto alexithymia scale. A persons alexithymia score can be measured with questionnaires such as the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20, the bermondvorst alexithymia questionnaire bvaq or the observer alexithymia scale oas. The alexithymia questionnaires used in clinical research tas 20, bvaq arent available online, so i took the online alexithymia questionnaire oaqg2. Alexithymia is not classified as a mental disorder in the dsm iv. Knowledge about which alexithymia domains are the most affected ones in ocd dimensions could inform clinical practice, suggesting the need for the introduction of psychotherapeutic interventions targeting alexithymia deficits. Each was administered a set of three questionnaires. Toronto alexithymia scale tas20 association for contextual. The core characteristics of alexithymia are marked dysfunction in emotional awareness, social attachment, and interpersonal relating.
The majority of research on the relationship between alexithymia and alcoholdependence has employed the selfadministered toronto alexithymia scale tas 20. The tas 20 consists of 20 items rated on a fivepoint likert scale, assessing the different aspects of alexithymia. Alexithymia, impulsiveness, and psychopathology in nonsuicidal selfinjured adolescents michela gatta,1 francesco dal santo,1 alessio rago,1 andrea spoto,2 pier antonio battistella1 1childhood adolescence family unit, ulss 16 padua university, 2department of general psychology, padua university, padova, italy introduction. Explanation of alexithymia in terms of personality dimensions. Frontiers alexithymia, metacognition, and theory of mind. Psychometric properties of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale in younger, middle, and older adolescents. Item toronto alexithymia scale and assessing its psychometric properties in a sample of 285 normal young adults in india. Alexithymia is a particular personality feature characterized by ones difficulty in identifying and describe his or her emotions. The term alexithymia was coined explicitly in the following texts. Effects of emotion recognition and alexithymia on motivation. Given the high prevalence of alexithymia in alcohol use disorders, valid assessment tools are critical. It is a dimensional personality trait that varies in severity from person to person.
A previous paper described the development of the twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 and reported preliminary evidence of reliability and factorial validity of the scale. Star news today 1,015,711 view toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 confused what emotion scale scale to rate how strongly the subject agrees or disagrees that heshe is often confused by what emotion heshe is feeling, as part of the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20. Farsi version of the toronto alexithymia scale ftas20. One behavioural the 20item toronto alexithymia scaleii. A psychometric comparison of the toronto alexithymia scale. We investigated alexithymia among foodallergic youths, compared to a matched healthy sample.
Originally the questionnaire was done by jason thompson who intended to have a free alexithymia questionnaire available for the community. Psychometric properties of the toronto alexithymia scale tas20 in brazil. The tas 20 is primarily focused on the cognitive dimensions of alexithymia and measures three subscales. Observerrated alexithymia and its relationship with the five. Toronto alexithymia scale 20 measures database education.
Thedatacollectionworksheetdcwisatooltoaidintegrationofaphenxprotocolintoa. Its concurrent, predictive, convergent and discriminant validity, reliability and stability have all been demonstrated 27. Furthermore, people with alexithymia have difficulty in distinguishing and appreciating the. Wong and law 2002 reveals that leadership and emotional. The prevalence of alexithymic characteristics in psychosomatic patients.
Article information, pdf download for psychometric properties of the toronto. Heart rate and skin conductance were measured during two baseline periods and during the administration of. Psychometric properties of the 20 item toronto alexithymia scale in younger, middle, and older adolescents. Much of the existing adolescent alexithymia research, that has been conducted with the 20item toronto alexithymia scale, 12, showed associations between this construct and dissociative tendencies, 14 eating behavior disorders, 15 posttraumatic stress disorder, 16 emotional intelligence, 17 and abuse. The tas20 is a selfreport scale that is comprised of 20 items. Psychometric properties of the 20 item toronto alexithymia scale in a group of italian younger adolescents. The relationship of alexithymia with anxietydepression. This paper describes a study that further evaluated the construct. The relationship between alexithymia, anxiety, depression. Factorial validity of the toronto alexithymia scale tas20 in. Reliability and factorial validity in a community population article pdf available in journal of psychosomatic. Poor attention has been dedicated to the relation between alexithymia and specific ocd symptoms dimensions.
A psychometric comparison of the tas 20 and the oas 1 a psychometric comparison of the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 and the observer alexithymia scale oas in an alcohol dependent sample fred arne thorberg, m. The current version has twenty statements rated on a fivepoint likert scale the reliability and validity of the tas 20 was established by a series of articles by r. Foodallergic patients reported higher levels of alexithymia compared to a matched healthy sample. Psychometric properties of the toronto alexithymia scale tas20.
Alexithymia, impulsiveness, and psychopathology in. The present study investigates the cognitive, affective, and physiological aspects of alexithymia. In general, studies conducted using selfreport questionnaires eg, the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 show that the high levels of alexithymia reported by patients are often correlated to depression and negative affectivity. Tas20confusedwhatemotionscal pdf some researchers have questioned the. Pdf the internet administration version of the 20item. Using the scale provided as a guide, indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements by placing an x in he appropriate place. The current study aimed to investigate which ocd symptom. The tas20 accurately reflects and measures the alexithymia construct as it was. Please answer the following questions, using the scale provided. A persons alexithymia score can be measured with questionnaires such as the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20, the bermondvorst alexithymia questionnaire bvaq, the online alexithymia questionnaire oaqg2 or the observer alexithymia scale oas. The observer alexithymia scale oas has also been recommended.
Each item is ranked on a 5point likert scale and a higher score. There are also some instruments that are specific to alexithymia, one of which is the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 bagby et al. There is extensive use of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas20 in. Alexithymia is a personal trait characterized by the subclinical inability to identify and describe emotions experienced by ones self or others. The toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 is a 20item selfreport measure of alexithymia. Individuals are considered as showing pathological levels of alexithymia if their score is 61 or above.
The current version has twenty statements rated on a fivepoint likert scale. Pdf the 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas20 has been shown in previous research to. Verbal fluency measures phonemic, semantic, emotion word fluency test. The internet administration version of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale article pdf available in psychological assessment 261 september 20 with 2,697 reads how we measure reads. Sep 30, 2015 much of the existing adolescent alexithymia research, that has been conducted with the 20 item toronto alexithymia scale, 12, showed associations between this construct and dissociative tendencies, 14 eating behavior disorders, 15 posttraumatic stress disorder, 16 emotional intelligence, 17 and abuse. In addition, the fullscale tas20 and the first two factors show adequate. Assessment of alexithymia with the rorschach comprehensive. In the original validation of the italian translation of the tas20, bressi et al. Machine learning models achieved an overall accuracy. Alexithymia was assessed by the 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 to assess the severity of alexithymia, 14.
Items are rated using a 5point likert scale whereby 1 strongly disagree and 5 strongly. Alexithymia refers to people who have trouble identifying and describing emotions and who tend to minimize emotional experience and focus attention externally. Each item is rated on a fivepoint likert scale ranging from 1 a. The 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20, the toronto structured interview for alexithymia tsia, and the levels of emotional awareness scale. Motivation and emotionbook2015alexithymia wikiversity. Psychometric properties of the 20item toronto alexithymia. Alexithymia was assessed using the toronto alexithymia scale, while emotional disorders were evaluated using the hospital anxiety and depression scale. Alexithymie questionnaire this online alexithymia questionnaire was developed in 2005 and overcomes some general shortcomings of other questionnaires like bermondvorst or tas 20. Parker and colleagues that applying adult scoring norms to adolescent respondents might lead.
Besharat, 2007a, 2007b the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20. With this aim, we studied the psychometric properties of the twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas20 in chilean population using. Alexithymia, psychopathology and alcohol misuse in. Altogether 3083 unselected subjects aged 30 and older in finland completed the 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 in the longitudinal health 2000 and health 2011 general. With this aim, we studied the psychometric properties of the twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas 20, which now is, the most widely used instrument to measure alexithymia. Padua university, 2department of general psychology, padua university, padova, italy introduction. In addition, the italian tas20 demonstrated adequate estimates of internal reliability and testretest reliability.
The total alexithymia score is the sum of responses to all 20 items, while the score for each subscale factor is the sum of the responses to that subscale. Alexithymia was measured by using the italian version of the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20. You have to answer at least 20 to get a result, meaning you can skip any you find overly invasive. It consists of three subscales measuring difficulties identifying feelings, difficulties in describing feelings, and externally oriented thoughts. Reliability and factorial validity in a community population article pdf available in journal of psychosomatic research 553.
We examined the scales psychometric properties in australian nonclinical n 428 and psychiatric n. Scale rfs, and found that it was strongly associated with tas20 scores in a sample of patients with chronic medical disease. The toronto alexithymia scale of 20 items tas 20, another selfreporting scale, is the most widely used measure of alexithymia. A series of confirmatory factor analyses was performed to evaluate the factorial structure underlying the tas 20 and ds14 items. Nonsuicidal selfinjury nssi is a multifaceted phenomenon and. Finding the psychometric properties of the original toronto alexithymia scale to be flawed, developers created the tas 20 a revised measure consisting of 20 items divided into three separate factors, or domains of alexithymia. The toronto alexithymia scale is a measure of deficiency in understanding, processing, or describing emotions.
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