Age and Gender Effects on Alexithymia in Japanese Samples
Author Information
Author(s): Moriguchi Yoshiya, Maeda Motonari, Igarashi Tetsuya, Ishikawa Toshio, Shoji Masayasu, Kubo Chiharu, Komaki Gen
Primary Institution: National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry
Hypothesis
The study aims to validate the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in a large Japanese community sample and explore age and gender differences in alexithymia.
Conclusion
The original three-factor concept of the TAS-20 was generally supported, with age-related differences indicating developmental aspects of alexithymia.
Supporting Evidence
- The TAS-20 was validated with a large community sample.
- Age-related differences in TAS-20 scores suggest developmental aspects of alexithymia.
- Significant correlations were found between the TAS-20 and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well a questionnaire for measuring alexithymia works in Japan and found that younger people struggle more with identifying and describing their feelings.
Methodology
The TAS-20 was administered to a normative sample of 2,718 and a clinical sample of 1,924, with analyses including confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses.
Limitations
The study design is cross-sectional, which may limit the ability to infer causal relationships.
Participant Demographics
The normative sample included 1,348 men and 1,370 women aged 14-84, while the clinical sample included 712 males and 1,212 females aged 12-87.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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