The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale--I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure

J Psychosom Res. 1994 Jan;38(1):23-32. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(94)90005-1.

Abstract

Addressing shortcomings of the self-report Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), two studies were conducted to reconstruct the item domain of the scale. The first study resulted in the development of a new twenty-item version of the scale--the TAS-20. The TAS-20 demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and a three-factor structure theoretically congruent with the alexithymia construct. The stability and replicability of this three-factor structure were demonstrated in the second study with both clinical and nonclinical populations by the use of confirmatory factor analysis.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Affective Symptoms / diagnosis*
  • Affective Symptoms / psychology
  • Ambulatory Care
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results