Alexithymia, anger, and interpersonal behavior.
BACKGROUND
We explored the relationship between alexithymia and interpersonal behavior, particularly the expression of anger.


METHODS
Ninety-eight college students completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. A median split was used to divide participants into a low-alexithymia and a high-alexithymia group. The experimenter intentionally engaged in a series of anger-provoking behaviors.


RESULTS
Compared to individuals in the low-alexithymia group, individuals in the high-alexithymia group were more interpersonally avoidant and exhibited more nonverbal anger, yet there was a trend for them to describe their lab experience as more pleasant. Among individuals in the high-alexithymia group, the different measures of anger and interpersonal behavior were less strongly associated than they were among individuals in the low-alexithymia group.


CONCLUSIONS
The results provide evidence of a complex association between alexithymia and anger, and of the lack of coherence in the communication of individuals with high levels of alexithymia.
Berenbaum
H
H
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 61820, USA.
Irvin
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000786:Anger; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009633:Nonverbal Communication / Q000523:psychology; D010556:Personality Tests