Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) – Chinese Version

Description

In 1973, Sifneos first proposed the term alexithymia, which is derived from Greek. The prefix “a” means “lack,” “lexis” means “word,” and “thymos” means “emotion.” Therefore, alexithymia is also referred to as “inability to express emotions.” Taylor, Bagby, and others believe that alexithymia reflects damage to emotional cognition, processing, and regulation, and this damage acts as a potential risk factor, making individuals susceptible to substance abuse, panic attacks, somatic symptom disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions, thereby reducing clinical efficacy. Consequently, assessing alexithymia holds practical value in clinical settings. Individuals with alexithymia primarily exhibit difficulty in identifying emotions, distinguishing somatic sensations from internal feelings, communicating emotions, lacking imagination, and showing external thinking. Alexithymia impedes individuals from effectively regulating emotions, making them more prone to psychosomatic diseases (such as hypertension, diabetes, functional gastrointestinal disorders) as well as depression and anxiety disorders, which significantly lower clinical efficacy across various diseases. Currently, scholars generally view alexithymia as a personality trait characterized by impaired emotional cognition processing and regulation. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) is recognized as the best tool for measuring alexithymia globally. This scale has been translated into various languages and applied to different populations worldwide. The items utilize a 5-point Likert scale (1 = “Completely Disagree,” 5 = “Completely Agree”).

Authors and Contact Email

Information not available

Purpose

Information not available

Test Year

Information not available

Administration Method and Scoring

The items utilize a 5-point Likert scale (1 = “完全不同意” (Completely Disagree), 5 = “完全同意” (Completely Agree)).

Reliability and Validity

Information not available

Factors and Subscales

Information not available

Keywords

alexithymia, emotional cognition, emotional regulation, TAS-20, clinical efficacy

Items in Chinese

1. 我常常搞不清自己有什么样的内心感受
2. 我感到难以用恰当的词语来描述我的内心感受
3. 我有一些连医生也不能理解的感觉
4. 我能容易描述自己的内心感受
5. 我更喜欢分析问题而不只是对问题进行描述
6. 当我心理难受时，我不知道究竟是悲伤，害怕，还是愤怒
7. 我常常对我身体的一些感受感到莫名其妙
8. 我常常只注意到事情的发生，而忽略了其发生的原因
9. 我有一些自己难以识别的内心感受
10. 知道自己的情绪体验对我来说很重要
11. 我难以描述我对别人有何感受
12. 人家说我很少谈及自己的内心感受
13. 我不知道自己的内心活动
14. 我常常不知道我为何愤怒
15. 我更愿意与别人谈论他们的日常活动而不是他们的内心感受
16. 我宁愿看轻松的娱乐片而不愿看严肃的情节片
17. 即使是密友，我也难以表达我内心深处的感受
18. 我能感觉到与某人有亲切感，即使在我们沉默寡言之时
19. 我觉得反省自己内心的感受对于解决个人问题是有用的
20. 寻找电影或戏剧中隐藏的含义会使人从娱乐中分心

Items in English

1. I often have trouble figuring out what my feelings are.
2. I find it difficult to describe my feelings to others.
3. I have feelings that even doctors do not understand.
4. I can easily describe my feelings.
5. I prefer to analyze problems rather than just describe them.
6. When I am feeling down, I don’t know if I am sad, scared, or angry.
7. I often feel confused about my physical sensations.
8. I usually only notice what is happening without realizing why it’s happening.
9. I have some feelings that I find difficult to recognize.
10. Knowing my emotional experiences is very important to me.
11. I find it difficult to describe my feelings about others.
12. People say that I rarely talk about my feelings.
13. I don’t know what is going on in my mind.
14. I often don’t know why I am angry.
15. I prefer to talk to others about their daily activities rather than their feelings.
16. I would rather watch a lighthearted entertainment movie than a serious drama.
17. Even with close friends, I find it difficult to express my deep feelings.
18. I can feel a sense of closeness with someone even when we are silent.
19. I think that reflecting on my inner feelings can be helpful for solving personal problems.
20. Looking for hidden meanings in films or plays distracts me from enjoyment.

References

蚁金瑶,姚树桥,朱熊兆.TAS-20中文版的信度、效度分析[J].中国心理卫生杂志,2003(11):763-767.
蚁金瑶,钟明天,罗英姿,凌宇,姚树桥.述情障碍者的情绪认知与认知性调节特征[J].中国心理卫生杂志,2009,23(02):118-122.
张蕾.述情障碍者执行功能损伤及情绪对其执行功能的影响和神经机制[D].安徽医科大学,2012.