title: Reliability and factorial validity of the Observer Alexithymia Scale-Chinese translation.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to develop a Chinese translation of the Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS-C) and evaluate its reliability and factorial validity. The original English-version of the Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS) was translated into Chinese and given to 468 Chinese undergraduate students. Students were asked to rate a person (other than themselves) whom they knew well (e.g., a parent, sibling, another relative, or friend). We evaluated internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability, and factorial validity. Average OAS-C scores were slightly higher than, but comparable to, OAS scores in the normative samples (English-speaking/nonclinical). The OAS-C showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.84, and the mean inter-item correlation coefficient was 0.14), good stability (test-retest reliability with a 2-week interval was 0.90), and inter-rater reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.78). Moreover, the OAS five-factor model (Distant, Uninsightful, Somatizing, Humorless, and Rigid) was confirmed: incremental fit index=0.905, comparative fit index=0.904, and root mean square error of approximation=0.086; each represented an adequate model fit. The OAS-C appears to be a reliable and valid observer-rated alexithymia measure. We recommend that researchers collect both self- and observer-rated alexithymia data and, when possible, obtain observer reports from more than one person.
authors.affiliation: The Medical Psychological Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Shuqiao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Jinyao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Xiongzhao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Haviland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology