This archival study sought to investigate the construct validity of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) when used with an inpatient clinical population. The TAS-20 is a self-report instrument that measures alexithymia, a psychological construct that encompasses 4 main cognitive traits: difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings to others, externally oriented thinking, and a limited imaginal capacity. Seven separate studies were employed: Study 1 explored internal consistency; Study 2 explored factor structure; Study 3 explored criterion-based predictive validity; Study 4 explored convergent validity; Study 5 explored discriminant validity; and Studies 6 and 7 explored the relationship between TAS-20 scores and Axis I and Axis II diagnoses. The participants were 169 inpatients at a state mental hospital in the Southeast. Participants were administered the TAS-20 while participating in the hospital's Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program between 2002 and 2011. Study results revealed a reliability coefficient of .793 and a two factor solution. However, subsequent analyses revealed that removal of the reverse score items increased internal consistency and that the best solution was a 1 factor solution with the TAS-20 reverse scored items removed. TAS-20 scores were found to be weakly predictive of both self-harm and acting-out behavioral incidents. A significant, but weak, positive correlation was found between TAS-20 scores and a measure of trauma. There was no significant relationship found between TAS-20 scores and a measure of verbal IQ. No relationship was found between TAS-20 scores and either Axis I or II diagnoses. Overall, the research findings provided weak support for the construct validity of the TAS-20 when used with a severely mentally ill inpatient population. Due to its questionable construct validity, the TAS-20 should be used with inpatient clinical populations in conjunction with other alexithymia measures, clinical interviews and behavioral observations. Because of the TAS-20's cost effectiveness and ease of use, further refinement of the items of the TAS-20 is recommended along with further research on the construct validity of a modified instrument. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 15, 2012. / alexithymia, "construct validity", "inpatient clinical population", reliability, TAS-20 / Includes bibliographical references. / Deborah Ebener, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jeanette Taylor, University Representative; Gary Peterson, Committee Member; Jim Sampson, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_182898 |
| Contributors | Hale, Kathleen E. (Kathleen Elizabeth) (authoraut), Ebener, Deborah (professor directing dissertation), Taylor, Jeanette (university representative), Peterson, Gary (committee member), Sampson, Jim (committee member), Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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