Toronto Alexithymia Scale

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The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) is a psychological personality test that measures alexithymia (the inability to perceive and express emotional needs).

history

The test was developed by Bagby et al. (1994), after only inadequate quality criteria could be determined with other methods for the investigation of alexithymia. In the original version there were 26 items in four scales. Due to methodological problems, the test was further developed; the new versions are TAS-23 and TAS-20, which then consist of fewer items and scales. A German version of the test was published in 2001.

description

The German version of the TAS-26 consists of 18 items in 3 scales. The following is measured in the appropriate scales:

  • Scale 1: Difficulty in identifying feelings
  • Scale 2: Difficulty in describing feelings
  • Scale 3: externally oriented thinking style

Examples of the individual scales can be mentioned:

  • Scale 1: "I am often unclear what I am feeling at the moment." Or "When I am excited, I do not know whether I am sad, afraid or angry."
  • Scale 2: "I find it easy to describe my feelings." Or "Others say I should show my feelings more."
  • Scale 3: "I like to tell other people my point of view on things." Or "I use my imagination a lot."

The answers should be given on a 5-point rating scale (1 = does not apply at all, 2 = rather does not apply, 3 = partly / partly, 4 = somewhat applies, 5 = completely applies).

Implementation and evaluation

The test can be carried out as an individual test or as a group test for subjects aged 14 and over. The duration is 5 minutes. The individual answers are added up in each scale. The total is formed by the sum of the 3 scales. One missing value is permitted per scale, which is then replaced during the evaluation by the respective average value of the corresponding scale. A cutoff value of 54 is used to determine alexithymia . No distinction is made between age and gender. A differentiation with regard to schooling is possible.

Quality criteria

The Toronto Alexithymia Scale has the following quality criteria :

  • Objectivity : given on the basis of the written, standardized instructions and the standardized evaluation.
  • Reliability : The internal consistency of scales 2 and 3 is satisfactory, that of scale 1 and the overall scale is good. Overall, the internal consistency is between α = .67 and α = .84. The split-half reliability is between r. = .65 and r = .84.
  • Validity : The correlation with the “Leipzig mood questionnaire” (Hinz, Hessel & Brähler 2003) shows clear connections (r = .31). Further connections were found through correlations with the “Questionnaire for assessing one's own body” (Strauss & Richter-Appelt 1996) and the inventory for recording interpersonal problems (Horowitz, Strauss & Kordy 1994) (connections between alexithymia and low assessments of physical attractiveness and self-confidence as well as with interpersonal problems).
  • Reasonability: Rather unproblematic due to the short duration. Rather, one problem is the comprehensibility of the questions through double negative and the fact that the test person is supposed to judge something that he may not be aware of.

literature

  • Bagby, et al. (1994). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia scale — I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. Journal of psychosomatic research, Vol. 38, Issue 1, pp. 23-32.
  • Kupfer, J., Brosig, B. & Brähler, E. (2001). TAS-26: Toronto-Alexithymia-Skala-26 (German version) . Manual. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
  • Taylor, G., Bagby, RM & Parker, DA (1997). Disorder of affect regulation in medical and psychiatric illness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.