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The development of the Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia: item selection, factor structure, reliability
R Michael Bagby1, Graeme J Taylor, James D A Parker
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada. michael_bagby@camh.net
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
|December 20, 2005
Summary
This study developed the Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA), a reliable and valid tool for assessing alexithymia. The TSIA shows promise for clinical and research use in understanding this personality construct.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Personality Assessment
Background:
- Personality assessments increasingly utilize multimethod approaches to reduce bias.
- Developing reliable instruments is crucial for accurate personality construct measurement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a valid and reliable structured interview for assessing the alexithymia construct.
Main Methods:
- An initial 60-item interview was refined through pilot testing to 43 items.
- Item and scale analyses reduced the pool to 24 items for final administration.
- Principal component and confirmatory factor analyses informed the final structure.
Main Results:
- The final 24-item Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA) demonstrated a hierarchical four-factor structure.
- The TSIA exhibited acceptable interrater, internal, and retest reliability.
- Concurrent validity was supported by modest, significant correlations with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale.
Conclusions:
- The Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA) is a promising new instrument.
- The TSIA offers a reliable and valid method for assessing alexithymia.