Different subgroups of high-scorers on the TAS-20 based on the big five personality traits

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 68; pp. 71 - 76
• Main Authors: Ueno, Mayumi, Maeda, Motonari, Komaki, Gen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alexithymia; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; NEO-FFI; Neuroticism; Personality; Personality traits; Personality. Affectivity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; TAS-20; Neuroticism; Personality; TAS-20; Alexithymia; NEO-FFI; Human; Big Five personality model; Correlation analysis; Psychometrics; Toronto Alexithymia Scale
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.04.012

•We examine if the alexithymia trait is properly obtained by high scorers on TAS-20.•Two distinct subgroups are identified based on the big five personality traits.•One shows very high scores on difficulty in identifying feelings and neuroticism.•The other shows very high scores on externally oriented thinking and low openness.•TAS-20 total scores should not be used as a uni-dimensional measure of alexithymia. We investigated whether it was possible to obtain a consistent representation of the alexithymia trait by using the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). TAS-20 and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory were administered to nonclinical participants (N=2188). The results of hierarchical cluster analysis and a two-way analysis of variance indicated two subgroups with high scores on the TAS-20. One group had difficulty identifying feelings and high neuroticism; the other had a high externally oriented cognitive style and low openness to experience. These results suggest that the total score on the TAS-20 should not be considered a uni-dimensional measure of alexithymia.