Construct validity of a self-report measure of alexithymia in a psychiatric inpatient sample

This study examined the construct validity of a widely used self-report measure of alexithymia in a mixed-sex sample of 101 psychiatric inpatients (62 women and 39 men). Contrary to expectations, scores on Shipko and Noviello's (1984) alexithymia scale (SNALEX) were: (1) correlated positively with a Rorschach index of verbal productivity; (2) unrelated to a Rorschach index of adaptive use of fantasy; (3) correlated negatively with scores on the MMPI L and K scales and correlated positively with scores on the MMPI F scale; and (4) correlated negatively with subject age. In addition, SNALEX scores were correlated negatively with scores on Klieger and Kinsman's (1980) alexithymia scale (KKALEX) in subjects of both sexes. These results do not support the construct validity of the SNALEX as a measure of alexithymia is psychiatric inpatients.