Skip to main content
Top
Gepubliceerd in:

04-09-2020 | Original Paper

Objective and Subjective Measurement of Alexithymia in Adults with Autism

Auteurs: Christian Ryan, Stephen Cogan, Ailish Phillips, Lorraine O’Connor

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders | Uitgave 6/2021

Log in om toegang te krijgen
share
DELEN

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

  • Optie A:
    Klik op de rechtermuisknop op de link en selecteer de optie “linkadres kopiëren”
  • Optie B:
    Deel de link per e-mail

Abstract

High rates of alexithymia, a condition characterised by difficulties identifying and describing emotions, are frequently reported in both children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the dilemma of measuring alexithymia via self-report has rarely been addressed. In this study, we compared objective and subjective measures of alexithymia in adults with ASD and typically developing adults. We found significantly higher levels of alexithymia in the ASD sample as measured by both self-report on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and by the observer rated Alexithymia Provoked Response Scale (APRQ). However, the two measures did not correlate with each other. We explore the different facets of the alexithymia construct that these two measures may be distinguishing.
Literatuur
go back to reference Allison, C., Auyeung, B., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2012). Toward brief “red flags” for autism screening: The short autism spectrum quotient and the short quantitative checklist in 1,000 cases and 3,000 controls. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(2), 202–212.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2011.11.003.CrossRef Allison, C., Auyeung, B., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2012). Toward brief “red flags” for autism screening: The short autism spectrum quotient and the short quantitative checklist in 1,000 cases and 3,000 controls. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 51(2), 202–212.e7. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​j.​jaac.​2011.​11.​003.CrossRef
go back to reference Bermond, B. (1997). Brain and alexithymia. In A. Vingerhoets, F. Bussel, & J. Boelhouwer (Eds.), The (non)expression of emotions in health and disease (pp. 115–130). Tilburg: Tilburg University Press. Bermond, B. (1997). Brain and alexithymia. In A. Vingerhoets, F. Bussel, & J. Boelhouwer (Eds.), The (non)expression of emotions in health and disease (pp. 115–130). Tilburg: Tilburg University Press.
go back to reference Bird, G., Silani, G., Brindley, R., White, S., Frith, U., & Singer, T. (2010). Empathic brain responses in insula are modulated by levels of alexithymia but not autism. Brain, 133(5), 1515–1525.CrossRef Bird, G., Silani, G., Brindley, R., White, S., Frith, U., & Singer, T. (2010). Empathic brain responses in insula are modulated by levels of alexithymia but not autism. Brain, 133(5), 1515–1525.CrossRef
go back to reference Bothe, E., Palermo, R., Rhodes, G., Burton, N., & Jeffery, L. (2019). Expression recognition difficulty is associated with social but not attention-to-detail autistic traits and reflects both alexithymia and perceptual difficulty. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(11), 4559–4571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04158-y.CrossRefPubMed Bothe, E., Palermo, R., Rhodes, G., Burton, N., & Jeffery, L. (2019). Expression recognition difficulty is associated with social but not attention-to-detail autistic traits and reflects both alexithymia and perceptual difficulty. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(11), 4559–4571. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s10803-019-04158-y.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Cook, R., Brewer, R., Shah, P., & Bird, G. (2013). Alexithymia, not autism, predicts poor recognition of emotional facial expressions. Psychological Science, 24(5), 723–732.CrossRef Cook, R., Brewer, R., Shah, P., & Bird, G. (2013). Alexithymia, not autism, predicts poor recognition of emotional facial expressions. Psychological Science, 24(5), 723–732.CrossRef
go back to reference Diedenhofen, B., & Musch, J. (2016). cocron: A web interface and R package for the statistical comparison of cronbach’s alpha coefficients. International Journal Internet Science, 11, 51–60. Diedenhofen, B., & Musch, J. (2016). cocron: A web interface and R package for the statistical comparison of cronbach’s alpha coefficients. International Journal Internet Science, 11, 51–60.
go back to reference Kosten, T. R., Krystal, J. H., Gillier, E., Frank, J., & Dan, E. (1992). Alexithymia as a predictor of treatment response in post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 5, 563–573.CrossRef Kosten, T. R., Krystal, J. H., Gillier, E., Frank, J., & Dan, E. (1992). Alexithymia as a predictor of treatment response in post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 5, 563–573.CrossRef
go back to reference Lord, C., Risi, S., Lambrecht, L., Cook, E. H., Leventhal, B. L., DiLavore, P. C., et al. (2000). The autism diagnostic observation schedule—generic: A standard measure of social and communication deficits associated with the spectrum of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(3), 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005592401947.CrossRefPubMed Lord, C., Risi, S., Lambrecht, L., Cook, E. H., Leventhal, B. L., DiLavore, P. C., et al. (2000). The autism diagnostic observation schedule—generic: A standard measure of social and communication deficits associated with the spectrum of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(3), 205–223. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1023/​A:​1005592401947.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Lord, C., Rutter, M., & Le Couteur, A. (1994). Autism diagnostic interview-revised: A revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24(5), 659–685. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02172145.CrossRefPubMed Lord, C., Rutter, M., & Le Couteur, A. (1994). Autism diagnostic interview-revised: A revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24(5), 659–685. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​BF02172145.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Milosavljevic, B., Carter Leno, V., Simonoff, E., Baird, G., Pickles, A., Jones, C. R. G., et al. (2016). Alexithymia in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Its relationship to internalising difficulties, sensory modulation and social cognition. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(4), 1354–1367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2670-8.CrossRefPubMed Milosavljevic, B., Carter Leno, V., Simonoff, E., Baird, G., Pickles, A., Jones, C. R. G., et al. (2016). Alexithymia in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Its relationship to internalising difficulties, sensory modulation and social cognition. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(4), 1354–1367. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s10803-015-2670-8.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Pennebaker, J. W., Booth, R. J., Boyd, R. L., & Francis, M. E. (2015). Linguistic inquiry and word count: LIWC2015. Pennebaker, J. W., Booth, R. J., Boyd, R. L., & Francis, M. E. (2015). Linguistic inquiry and word count: LIWC2015.
go back to reference Pierce, M., Krystal, J. H., Faryna, A., Markert, R., & Davidson, A. (1990). A comparison of alexithymia measures. In Proc. American Psychiatric Association, Vol. 59 Pierce, M., Krystal, J. H., Faryna, A., Markert, R., & Davidson, A. (1990). A comparison of alexithymia measures. In Proc. American Psychiatric Association, Vol. 59
go back to reference Sekely, A., Bagby, R. M., & Porcelli, P. (2018). Assessment of the Alexithymia Construct. In O. Luminet, R. M. Bagby, & G. J. Taylor (Eds.), Alexithymia (1st ed., pp. 17–32). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRef Sekely, A., Bagby, R. M., & Porcelli, P. (2018). Assessment of the Alexithymia Construct. In O. Luminet, R. M. Bagby, & G. J. Taylor (Eds.), Alexithymia (1st ed., pp. 17–32). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRef
Metagegevens
Titel
Objective and Subjective Measurement of Alexithymia in Adults with Autism
Auteurs
Christian Ryan
Stephen Cogan
Ailish Phillips
Lorraine O’Connor
Publicatiedatum
04-09-2020
Uitgeverij
Springer US
Gepubliceerd in
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders / Uitgave 6/2021
Print ISSN: 0162-3257
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-3432
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04665-3