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Alexithymia Scale

Do your emotions ever feel elusive to you? If so, you might be struggling with 'alexithymia.' Take this test to find out.

Mark Travers, Ph.D.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D.

March 22, 2024

Mark Travers, Ph.D., is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, responsible for new client intake and placement. Mark received his B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder. His academic research has been published in leading psychology journals and has been featured in The New York Times and The New Yorker, among other popular publications. He is a regular contributor for Forbes and Psychology Today, where he writes about psycho-educational topics such as happiness, relationships, personality, and life meaning. Click here to schedule an initial consultation with Mark or another member of the Awake Therapy team. Or, you can drop him a note here.

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Alexithymia, a psychological concept coined in the 1970s, refers to a condition characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing emotions. Individuals with alexithymia often struggle to recognize their own feelings, as well as differentiate between their emotional experiences and bodily sensations. This condition can significantly impact various aspects of life, including interpersonal relationships, decision-making and overall well-being.

Identifying and measuring alexithymia is crucial. By recognizing individuals who may be experiencing alexithymia, appropriate interventions and support can be provided to address their unique emotional needs. Measuring alexithymia can additionally aid in assessing treatment effectiveness and tracking changes in emotional awareness and expression over time.

The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) is one of the most widely used tools for assessing alexithymia. Developed by Bagby, Parker, and Taylor, this self-report questionnaire consists of 20 items designed to measure various aspects of alexithymia, including difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings and externally oriented thinking.

You can take this test here. Please follow all of the steps to receive your results.

References: Bagby, R. M., Parker, J. D. A., & Taylor, G. J. (1993). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale—I. Item selection and cross-cultural validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38(1). 23-32.

Step 1: Rate the following statements based on how much you agree with them on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.

1. I am often confused about what emotion I am feeling.

2. It is difficult for me to find the right words for my feelings.

3. I have physical sensations that even doctors do not understand.

4. I am unable to describe my feelings easily.

5. I prefer to describe problems rather than just analyze them.

6. When I am upset, I do not know if I am sad, frightened or angry.

7. I am often puzzled by sensations in my body.

8. I prefer to just let things happen rather than to understand why they turned out that way.

9. I have feelings that I cannot quite identify.

10. Being in touch with emotions isn’t essential to me.

11. I find it hard to describe how I feel about people.

12. People tell me to describe my feelings more.

13. I do not know what’s going on inside me.

14. I often do not know why I am angry.

15. I prefer talking to people about their daily activities rather than their feelings.

16. I prefer to watch ‘light’ entertainment shows rather than psychological dramas.

17. It is difficult for me to reveal my innermost feelings, even to close friends.

18. I struggle to feel close to others, especially in moments of silence.

19. I do not find examination of my feelings useful in solving personal problems.

20. Looking for hidden meanings in movies or plays distracts from their enjoyment.

0 of 0 questions answered

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores with people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.