The construct of alexithymia was examined using factor analyses and a modified Crovitz-Robinson autobiographical memory technique. Results indicated a two-factor solution to the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Subjects high in alexithymic characteristics were actually faster at recalling emotional events. They also reported more intense emotional experience at time of encoding but not at time of recall, showed a more complex emotional profile for their memories, but a greater number of response failures. When factor scores from principal components analyses were used to predict the above variables opposite results were obtained. Factor 1 and factor 2 scores showed very different patterns of relationships with the variables. It is proposed that the first factor found contains the "core" alexithymia characteristics. The breakdown of alexithymic characteristics and their differential relationship to the present cognitive task are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/291682 |
| Date | January 1991 |
| Creators | Mulvaney, Sheila, 1963- |
| Contributors | Kihlstrom, John F. |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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