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Published on: May 19, 2015
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[Common foundation of alexithymia and expressive suppression]
Vera Schiewer1, Thilo Dietz1, Sally Tavenrath1
1Psychoonkologische Versorgungsforschung, Klinik I für Innere Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Köln, Köln, Deutschland.
Psychotherapeut
|November 1, 2021
Summary
This study found that difficulty identifying and describing feelings (alexithymia) strongly correlates with expressive suppression. These traits share a common construct, termed speechlessness, in German adults.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychophysiology
Context:
- Alexithymia and expressive suppression are linked internationally.
- This relationship is under-researched in German literature.
Purpose:
- Investigate the correlative and factorial relationship between alexithymia and expressive suppression in a German sample.
- Examine the construct validity of alexithymia and expressive suppression measures.
Summary:
- A survey of 317 participants used the German versions of the Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-26) and the emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ).
- Significant correlations were found between TAS-26 subscales (difficulty identifying/describing feelings) and ERQ suppression.
- Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor solution indicating a shared construct between alexithymia components and expressive suppression.
Impact:
- Findings suggest that difficulty in identifying and describing feelings (alexithymia) and expressive suppression share a common underlying construct.
- This shared construct is conceptualized as 'speechlessness'.
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