Cross-cultural alexithymia: validity of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in North American aboriginal populations.
OBJECTIVE
The generalizability of the alexithymia construct to North American aboriginal culture was examined by assessing the replicability of the factor structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in two different adult samples. The study also assessed the reliability of the scale and the influence of gender, age, and education on alexithymia levels.


METHODS
The first sample was a community-based group of 123 aboriginal men and women; the second sample was 102 male aboriginal offenders. Both samples completed the TAS-20.


RESULTS
The replicability of the three-factor structure for the TAS-20 was supported in both groups using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The TAS-20 and its three factors demonstrated adequate internal reliability, and the variables of gender, age, and education accounted for small or nonsignificant amounts of variability in total TAS-20 and factor scale scores.


CONCLUSIONS
The results provide additional support for the factorial validity of the TAS-20 in diverse cultural groups.
Parker
James D A
JD
Emotion and Health Research Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7B8. jparker@trentu.ca
Shaughnessy
Peggy A
PA
Wood
Laura M
LM
Majeski
Sarah A
SA
Eastabrook
Jennifer M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D002170:Canada; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires