Validation of a greek adaptation of the 20item toronto alexithymia. The tas 20 is primarily focused on the cognitive dimensions of alexithymia and measures three subscales. Psychometric properties of the 20 item toronto alexithymia scale in a group of italian younger adolescents. The current version has twenty statements rated on a fivepoint likert scale.
This paper presents the authorized german version of the 26item toronto alexithymia scale tas 26. The construct validity of alexithymia and its assessment using the 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas20 in japan is unknown. The beck depression inventory bdi, statetrait anxiety inventory stai, diagnostic criteria for psychosomatic research dcpr, brief symptom inventory bsi, and toronto alexithymia scale tas20 were used to perform psychometric assessment. Alexithymia is a particular personality feature characterized by ones difficulty in identifying and describe his or her emotions.
Nonsuicidal selfinjury nssi is a multifaceted phenomenon and. Motivation and emotionbook2015alexithymia wikiversity. There are 5 items that are negatively keyed items 4, 5, 10, 18 and 19. The 20 item 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. Description of the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 is a 20item, selfadministered questionnaire that includes three subscales. Explanation of alexithymia in terms of personality dimensions. A persons alexithymia score can be measured with questionnaires such as the toronto alexithymia scale tas20, the bermondvorst alexithymia questionnaire bvaq or the observer alexithymia scale oas. 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. Assessments included the toronto alexithymia scale, hospital anxiety and depression scale, and two subscales of the mcgill pain questionnaire. Click here to view the table of contents in pdf format. The authors assessed, in an adolescent population sample, the internal consistency, testretest stability, and factor structure of the toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 and established the. I received my medical degree from the university of otago, new zealand in 1964 and completed my psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine training at the university of toronto and the state university of new york, downstate medical center. Hebrew 19, hungarian 23, hindi 24, farsi 25, italian.
Firstly, the psychometric properties of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 and the alexithymia questionnaire for children aqc. Twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas20 springerlink. Assessments included the toronto alexithymia scale, hospital anxiety and depression scale, and two subscales of. Le questionnaire toronto alexithymia scale tas20 est disponible en. This was measured with the 25item version of the hopkins symptom check list hscl25. This study investigated the relationship of alexithymia with personality dimensions in a sample of general population. Due to the fact, that the revised version of this questionnaire tas20 displays low reliability concerning the scale external oriented thinking in the german version, we decided to reinvestigate all tas26 items. The reliability and validity of the tas 20 was established by a series of articles. Alexithymia was associated with poor education and low income level and it was more common among unmarried subjects. The twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas20 was developed by bagby et al. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of alexithymia, psychosocial factors, and coping strategies. Poor attention has been dedicated to the relation between alexithymia and specific ocd symptoms dimensions.
The tas20 has demonstrated good internal consistency and testretest reliability. The prevalence of alexithymia tas 20 score 60 was 9. The remaining twenty items, hereafter referred to as the twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas20, were subsequently factor analyzed principal axis factoring, three factors rotated to a varimax solution. In addition, the italian tas20 demonstrated adequate estimates of. Low reliability has been found for the third factor of the tas 20 in some cultures, and the factor structure for psychosomatic disorder patients has not been adequately investigated. The tas20 is a selfreport scale that is comprised of 20 items. The toronto alexithymia scale tas20 is a 20item selfreport measure of alexithymia. Toronto alexithymia scale20 tas20 the tas20 b agby et al. Items are rated using a 5point likert scale whereby 1 strongly disagree and 5 strongly. The construct validity of alexithymia and its assessment using the 20 item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 in japan is unknown. Seguendo le istruzioni sotto elencate indichi quanto e daccordo o no. Factorial validity of the toronto alexithymia scale tas. The 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas20 the tas20 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. What alexithymia isnt alexithymia is sometimes loosely characterised as a lack of emotional expression or reactivity.
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. Results narcissistic grandiosity, vulnerability, and alexithymia were positively related to disordered eating attitudes. 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. Scale tas20 corresponding to the theoretical conceptualization of the alexithymia construct could be. The twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale the twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas20 was developed by bagby et al. Item selection and crossvalidation of the factor structure. A 10item scale designed to measure respondents tendency to regulate their emotions in two ways. The observer alexithymia scale oas has also been recommended. It is a dimensional personality trait that varies in intensity from person to person. Psychometric properties of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale in. Relationship between alexithymia and coping strategies in. Published by cambridge university press, september, 2018.
The associations between pathological narcissism, alexithymia. This free test takes only a couple of minutes to complete. Laniusb,c adepartment of psychology, the university of western ontario, ontario n6a sas, canada bdepartment of psychiatry, the university of western ontario, ontario n6a sas, canada cdepartment of neuroscience, the university of western ontario. Alexithymia was assessed by the 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas20 to assess the severity of alexithymia,14. In the initial validational study, exploratory factor analysis. The turkish version of the 20item toronto alexithymia. Respondents answer each item on a 7point likerttype scale ranging from 1 strongly disagree to 7 strongly agree. Sep 09, 20 the internet administration version of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale article pdf available in psychological assessment 261 september 20 with 2,651 reads how we measure reads. If your test result indicates that you may have alexithymia, you will need further evaluation to clarify your condition. Pdf the 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas20 has been shown. The total alexithymia score is the sum of responses to all 20 items, while the score for each. Finding the psychometric properties of the original toronto alexithymia scale to be flawed, developers created the tas20 a revised measure consisting of 20 items divided into three separate factors, or domains of alexithymia.
Pir and neo fivefactor inventory neoffi professional manual. This paper describes a study that further evaluated the construct. The toronto alexithymia scale is a measure of deficiency in understanding, processing, or describing emotions. 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.
The aim of the present study was to assess the validity and reliability of the oas and the tas 20 in an alcoholdependent sample. Relationship between alexithymia and coping strategies in patients with somatoform disorder toshiyuki tominaga,1,4 hyungin choi,2 yasuhide nagoshi,3 yoshihisa wada,4 kenji fukui41health management doctors office mental health, salary, personnel health, and welfare division, kyoto prefecture, japan. The twenty item toronto alexithymia scale tas20 after a revised edition to the tas, a twentyitem version was devised. Alexithymia moderated the relationships between narcissistic vulnerability and the total score of disordered eating attitudes. Items are rated using a 5point likert scale whereby 1 strongly disagree and 5 strongly agree. Its concurrent, predictive, convergent and discriminant validity, reliability and stability have all been demonstrated 27. Due to the fact, that the revised version of this questionnaire tas 20 displays low reliability concerning the scale external oriented thinking in the german version, we decided to reinvestigate all tas 26 items.
With this aim, we studied the psychometric properties of the twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas20 in chilean population using. Alexithymia has been studied widely recently and measurement methods before 1985 were. Item selection and crossvalidation of the factor structure article pdf available in journal of psychosomatic research 381. Psychometric properties of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale in younger, middle, and older adolescents. Age and gender effect on alexithymia in large, japanese. It is known that alexithymia is associated with psychological distress. Advances in research, theory, and clinical practice.
Psychometric properties of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale in a group of italian younger adolescents. Toronto alexithymia scale tas20 is a reliable and valid. Toronto alexithymia scale 20 measures database education. Available in dutch, english, arabic, french, farsi, italian, spanish, and polish. Despite replication of the factor structure, however, it cannot be assumed that observed differences in mean tas 20 scores can be interpreted similarly across different languages and cultural groups. In addition, the fullscale tas20 and the first two factors show adequate to good internal reliability for most of the translations. Sixtythree persons 34 psychiatric inpatients, 29 healthy controls first. 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. Unfortunately this leads to a confusion with other psychological concepts which are distinct in a number of important ways. It is a 20item selfreport instrument rated on a 5point likertype scale ranging from 1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree. Alexithymia is not classified as a mental disorder in the dsm iv. Please answer the following questions, using the scale.
Explanation of alexithymia in terms of personality. The toronto alexithymia scale of 20 items tas 20, another selfreporting scale, is the most widely used measure of alexithymia. Toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 scores were posit. Alexithymia was measured with the 20item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20, depression severity was evaluated with the 17item hamilton depression rating scale hamd and suicide risk was. Psychometric properties of the 20 item toronto alexithymia scale in younger, middle, and older adolescents.
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. Alexithymia, impulsiveness, and psychopathology in. The measurement of alexithymia in children and adolescents plos. This paper presents the authorized german version of the 26item toronto alexithymia scale tas26. Psychological characteristics of dissociation in general. Nonsuicidal selfinjury nssi is a multifaceted phenomenon and a. The twenty item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 after a revised edition to the tas, a twentyitem version was devised. It is a 20 item selfreport instrument rated on a 5point likertype scale ranging from 1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree.
Introduction alexithymia refers to difficulty identifying, differentiating and communicating feelings, a lack of imagination and an externally oriented thinking style nemiah et al. I am also a fellow of the american academy of psychoanalysis and dynamic psychiatry. The phenx toolkit is a catalog of highpriority measures for consideration and inclusion in genomewide association studies gwas and other large scale genomic research efforts. The tas 20 is a selfreport scale that is comprised of 20 items. A deeper understanding of the relationship between alexithymia and coping strategies in somatoform disorder could lead to improved therapies. The twentyitem toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 was developed by bagby et al. Pdf cross validation of the factor structure of the 20item toronto. Measurement invariance of english and french language. 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. Parker, 1992 seguendo le istruzioni sotto elencate indichi quanto e daccordo o no con ciascuna delle seguenti affermazioni segnando una x sopra il numero corrispondente. The tas20 is primarily focused on the cognitive dimensions of. After adjusting for psychological distress, these associations remained statistically significant. The alexithymia construct is commonly measured with the 20 item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20, with more than 20 different language translations.
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. We have applied this scale to chilean university students and we performed analysis using different model testing procedures. Find words together for the fear and the protective intention. Psychometric properties of the 20item toronto alexithymia. The contribution of alexithymia to obsessivecompulsive. Italian 23 italy psychiatric and medical patients 642 0. Fsi but not frequency of either masturbation or of partnered sexual activity excluding pvi, as measured by both sexual behavior diaries and recall, was associated with less alexithymia hence, more emotional integration as measured by the toronto alexithymia scale tas20 in a sample of healthy german women.
A persons alexithymia score can be measured with questionnaires such as the toronto alexithymia scale tas20, the bermondvorst alexithymia questionnaire bvaq, the online alexithymia questionnaire oaqg2 or the observer alexithymia scale oas. The toronto alexithymia scale of 20 items tas20, another selfreporting scale, is the most widely used measure of alexithymia. Note the arousal as indicative of threat and selfand other protective needs. Factorial validity of the toronto alexithymia scale tas20.
Testing and validation of the 26item toronto alexithymia. Please answer the following questions, using the scale provided. It is a personality trait that varies in severity from person to person. Toronto alexithymia scale tas20 association for contextual. Generating an epub file may take a long time, please be patient. Alexithymia was assessed by the 20 item toronto alexithymia scale tas 20 to assess the severity of alexithymia,14. The toronto alexithymia scale tas was the first alexithymia measure validated in accordance with modern psychometric research, and its 20item version tas 20, especially, is an internationally used measures of alexithymia 45. Toronto alexithymia scale tas20 ifemdr institut francais d.
Total scores range from 20 to 100, with higher scores indicating higher level of alexithymia. The phenx toolkit is a catalog of highpriority measures for consideration and inclusion in genomewide association studies gwas and other largescale genomic research efforts. Toronto alexithymia scale tas20 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 tas20. The tas 20 has demonstrated good internal consistency and testretest reliability. The 20item version of the toronto alexithymia scale tas20 was given to 5,993 subjects. Padua university, 2department of general psychology, padua university, padova, italy introduction. The internet administration version of the 20item toronto alexithymia scale article pdf available in psychological assessment 261 september 20 with. Pdf the internet administration version of the 20item. Does family cohesiveness and parental alexithymia predict.
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