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Assessment Instruments

Validated instruments used in the research literature to measure alexithymia. This page is informational. Self-report and online versions of these instruments are screening tools, not diagnostic instruments; results should be interpreted by a qualified clinician in context.

For mobile apps and digital tools, see Mobile Apps & Digital Tools. For labs developing and validating new instruments, see Research Labs & Institutions.

Self-Report Instruments

Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)

The most widely used self-report measure of alexithymia.

Developed by: R. Michael Bagby, James D. A. Parker, and Graeme J. Taylor.

Primary citation: Bagby, Parker, & Taylor (1994). Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38(1), 23–32.

Key features:

  • 20-item self-report questionnaire
  • Three subscales: Difficulty Identifying Feelings (DIF), Difficulty Describing Feelings (DDF), Externally Oriented Thinking (EOT)
  • Validated in numerous languages and populations
  • Administration: approximately 5–10 minutes
  • Established research-use cutoff scores are commonly reported as ≤51 (low/non-alexithymic), 52–60 (possible/borderline), and ≥61 (high/alexithymic); these are research conventions, not clinical diagnoses

Reference site: University of Toronto Alexithymia Research

→ See researcher pages: Taylor · Bagby · Parker

Bermond–Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ)

An alternative self-report measure that separates cognitive and affective dimensions of alexithymia.

Developed by: Bob Bermond and Hein C. M. Vorst.

Primary citation: Bermond & Vorst (2013). Personality and Individual Differences, 54(1), 30–35.

Key features:

  • 40-item self-report questionnaire
  • Five subscales: identifying, verbalizing, analyzing, emotionalizing, and fantasizing
  • Distinguishes a cognitive dimension (identifying, verbalizing, analyzing) from an affective dimension (emotionalizing, fantasizing) — a distinction the TAS-20 does not draw
  • Used in both research and clinical contexts

→ See researcher pages: Bermond · Vorst

Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ)

A more recent self-report instrument that separately assesses alexithymia for positive and negative emotions.

Developed by: David A. Preece, Rodrigo Becerra, Kate Robinson, Justine Dandy, and Alfred Allan.

Primary citation: Preece, Becerra, Robinson, Dandy, & Allan (2018). Personality and Individual Differences, 132, 32–44.

Key features:

  • 24-item self-report questionnaire
  • Assesses three facets — Difficulty Identifying Feelings, Difficulty Describing Feelings, and Externally Oriented Thinking — separately for positive (N-DIF/P-DIF/P-DDF/P-EOT, etc.) and negative emotional states
  • Designed to address measurement concerns with the EOT subscale of the TAS-20
  • A 6-item Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire–Short Form (PAQ-S) has also been published (Preece et al., 2023)

Interview-Based Instruments

Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA)

A clinician-administered structured interview measure of alexithymia.

Developed by: R. Michael Bagby, Graeme J. Taylor, James D. A. Parker, and Susan E. Dickens.

Primary citation: Bagby, Taylor, Parker, & Dickens (2006). Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 75(1), 25–39.

Key features:

  • 24-item structured clinical interview administered by a trained interviewer
  • Same four-facet conceptualization used by the TAS family (difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, externally oriented thinking, and reduced imaginal processes)
  • Useful when self-report capacity is limited or when more in-depth assessment is required

→ See researcher pages: Taylor · Bagby · Parker

Observer-Rated Instruments

Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS)

An informant-rated measure completed by someone who knows the person being assessed (e.g., a family member or clinician).

Developed by: Mark G. Haviland, William L. Warren, and Lynn A. Riggs.

Primary citation: Haviland, Warren, & Riggs (2000). Psychosomatics, 41(5), 385–392.

Key features:

  • 33 items rated by an observer
  • Five-factor structure (distant, uninsightful, somatizing, humorless, rigid)
  • Reduces self-report bias and is useful where self-awareness of emotional functioning is limited
  • Complements, rather than replaces, self-report measures

Performance-Based Instruments

Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS)

A performance-based measure of the cognitive complexity of emotional experience.

Developed by: Richard D. Lane, Donald M. Quinlan, Gary E. Schwartz, Pamela A. Walker, and Sharon B. Zeitlin.

Primary citation: Lane, Quinlan, Schwartz, Walker, & Zeitlin (1990). Journal of Personality Assessment, 55(1–2), 124–134.

Key features:

  • Respondents describe their anticipated feelings — and the feelings of another person — in written emotional scenarios
  • Scored on the complexity and differentiation of the emotional language used, rather than on self-report agreement
  • Less affected by introspective biases than self-report questionnaires
  • Used primarily in research and comprehensive clinical assessment

Community Self-Screens

Online Alexithymia Questionnaire

A free, publicly available online self-screen.

Available at: alexithymia.us/test-alexithymia

Notes:

  • Designed for self-administration in a community setting
  • Provides interpretive guidance, but is a screening instrument only
  • Not a substitute for the validated instruments described above and not a diagnostic tool

Notes on Interpretation

Alexithymia is treated in the research literature as a dimensional trait. Instrument scores are continuous; commonly cited cutoff scores (such as the ≥61 threshold on the TAS-20) are research conventions used to define groups for analysis, not clinical diagnoses. Scores from any single administration can be affected by current mood, fatigue, and context. Comprehensive evaluation — including history-taking, clinical interview, and consideration of co-occurring conditions — should be carried out by a qualified clinician.

For background on the construct itself, see FAQ. For broader context on assessment in practice, see Diagnosis & Assessment.

Instruments listed here are those most commonly cited in the peer-reviewed alexithymia literature. This list is reviewed periodically.