alexithymia domains mentioned above. However, on face validity, three items refer to Verbalizing emotions, one
to Identifying/Analyzing emotions, and one to Fear of emotions.
Reliability
Internal Consistency
The authors reported a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .88 ( Gori et al., 2012 ).
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
The PTI-AS correlated positively with the TAS-20 and BVAQ-COG, but not with the BVAQ-AFF as follows: PTI-
AS/TAS-20 (.74), PTI-AS/TAS-DIF (.70), PTI-AS/TAS-DDF (.55), and PTI-AS/TAS-EOT (.32) and PTI-AS/BVAQ
(.40), PTI-AS/BVAQ-COG (.63), PTI-AS/BVAQ-AFF /C0.12, PTI-AS/BVAQ subscale ANA (.29), PTI-AS/BVAQ-
AS/BVAQ-VERB (.65), PTI-AS/BVAQ-IDENT (.44), PTI-AS/BVAQ-FAN /C0.07, and PTI-AS/BVAQ-EMO /C0.12.
Construct/Factor Analytic
An exploratory factor analysis ( N5378) resulted in a one-factor structure that explained 71.1% of the total var-
iance. Factor loadings were in the high range: .70 /C0.85. A subsequent confirmatory factor analysis (one factor
model) provided a good fit to the data (CFI 5.98, TLI 5.95, RMSEA 5.08, SRMR 5.04;χ2520.30).
Criterion/Predictive
The PTI-AS exhibited predictive correlations ( ..3) with: Drive for Thinness; Bulimia; Body Dissatisfaction;
Personal Alienation; Interpersonal Insecurity; Interpersonal Alienation; Interoceptive Deficits; Emotional
Dysregulation; and Asceticism of the Eating Disorder inventory.7
Also, Gori et al. (2012) compared a clinical group ( N535) with a non-clinical group ( N535) and demonstrated
that the clinical group scored significantly higher on the PTI-AS, with a large effect size (d/mean SD5.92).
Location
Gori et al. (2012) . Assessment of alexithymia: Psychometric properties of the Psychological Treatment
Inventory Alexithymia Scale (PTI-AS). Psychology, 3, 231/C0136.
Results and Comments
The PTI-AS does not cover all the domains mentioned by the authors. This could partly explain the high inter-
nal consistency the good factor structure, and high item-total correlations (range .70 to .85), which would have
been unlikely if the five items, covered different domains. However, this does not devaluate the high correlations
with the TAS-20 and the BVAQ-COG. Furthermore, results point to convergent validity. However, the Gori et al.
(2012) study is the only PTI-AS publication (as per November 2013), and although very promising, more research
is warranted.
PTI-AS Sample Items
Sometimes I have difficulty finding the words to describe my feelings.
I am scared of my own emotions (Gori, personal communication).
Measurement of Alexithymia in Adolescents and Children
In this context Parker et al. (2010) is important. These authors studied the TAS-20 in four groups of adolescents
(aged 19 to 21 years, N5267; aged 17 to 18 years; N5288; aged 15 to 16 years; N5297; aged 13 to 14 years,
N5149), and their results indicated that CFA indices, the amount of explained variance, standardized estimates
of factor loadings, and Cronbach alpha coefficients decrease with age. Reading comprehension could not fully
explain these decreases, and the authors assumed that developmental phenomenon reflecting still-developing
levels of emotional awareness and ability to express and regulate emotions are a factor in these results. We agree
with the suggestion of Parker et al. (2010) especially since the prefrontal cortex, which, fulfills important
functions for the emotional experience and control of emotional behavior is not fully matured before the end of
adolescence ( Bermond et al., 2006 ).
7In the Gori et al. (2012) article these correlations are erroneously indicated with a ,instead of .(Gori personal communication).247 SELF-RATING SCALES
III. EMOTION REGULATION