Description
Haviland and Reise (1996a) described the prototypical features of the alexithymic individual. They asked 17
alexithymia experts to sort all 100 statements of the California Q-set into a forced 9-category, quasi-normal distri-
bution varying from ‘alexithymia most-uncharacteristic’ to ‘alexithymia most-characteristic’. Thirteen alexithymia
experts returned usable sorts. Individual item scores of these 13 experts were summed, ranked, and converted to
the original 9-point score distribution. The California Q-set Alexithymia Prototype (CAQ-AP) was formed from
the 13 statements with the highest sums (5 most-characteristic and 8 quite-characteristic), and the 13 statements
with lowest sums (5 most-uncharacteristic and 8 quite-uncharacteristic). The CAQ-AP has no subscales. Since the
California-set was constructed before the introduction of the alexithymia construct, many of the CAQ-AP items
refer to constructs related to alexithymia, but not to alexithymia directly.
Sample
The Haviland and Reise (1996a) sample comprised 13 alexithymia experts. The sample size in the Haviland
(1998) study, consisted of 155 undergraduate students (84 women and 71 men, M520 years, SD52), rating con-
temporary and historical leaders.
Reliability
Inter-Rater
Haviland and Reise (1996a) reported low to acceptable inter-rater reliability correlations for the various
Q-statements with a mean Q-correlation of .58 (ranging from .20 to .75). However, correlations between individ-
ual raters and the mean CAQ-AP scores (over all raters) were much higher (mean Q-correlation .77, range .54 to
.85).
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
Haviland and Reise (1996a) reported CAQ-AP Q-correlations with the two Lewinian constructs; one of which
was positively related to alexithymia ‘Ego-control’ (.45), and one assumed to be negatively related to alexithymia
‘Ego resiliency’ ( /C0.70). These authors further reported a correlation between the CAQ-AP and the Social Skill
Inventory Emotional expression ( /C0.34), between the CAQ-AP and the NEO Personality Inventory Extraversion
(.38), Beck Depression Inventory (.38, all other correlations were ,.3). Finally, Haviland and Reise (1996a)
reported a Q-correlation with the Overcontrolled prototype of .45.
Divergent/Discriminant
Haviland, Sonne, and Kowert (2004) compared the CAQ-AP with the California Q-set Psychopathy Prototype
(CAQ-PP). The correlation between the CAQ-AP scores and those on the CAQ-PP, in a group of 155 undergradu-
ates was .13.
Location
Haviland, M.G. & Reise, S.P. (1996). A California Q-set alexithymia prototype and its relationship to ego-
control and ego-resiliency. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 6, 597/C0608.
Results and Comments
Some convergent/concurrent validity correlations in the Haviland (1998) study could have been inflated by
the fact that some Q-statements in the CAQ-AP relate more or less directly to extraversion, depression, and ego
control (see sample items), suggesting that the CAQ-AP is less suitable for research purposes. The CAQ-AP is a
time consuming procedure (45 to 60 minutes; Haviland et al., 2000 ).
CAQ-AP Sample Items
Is socially receptive of a wide range of interpersonal cues.
Feels a lack of personal meaning in life.
Has a brittle ego-defense system; has a small reserve of integration; would be disorganized and maladaptive
when under stressor trauma.
Is emotionally bland; has flattened affect.234 9. MEASURES OF ALEXITHYMIA
III. EMOTION REGULATION