The 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale
Abstract
Objective The aim of this paper was to review findings from studies that have evaluated the reliability and factorial validity of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in different languages and cultures.Method Data from published articles as well as unpublished data from various countries were reviewed to determine whether the three-factor structure of the TAS-20 is replicable in different cultures by the method of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and whether the scale and its three-factor scales show internal reliability in these cultures.Results The TAS-20 has been translated adequately into 18 different languages and evaluated by CFA in 19 different countries. There is strong support for the generalizability of the three-factor structure of the scale across languages and cultures. In addition, the full-scale TAS-20 and the first two factors show adequate to good internal reliability for most of the translations. In most cultures where English is not the primary language, however, the third factor lacks internal reliability; this might be due to cultural differences or a response bias to the several negatively keyed items on this factor.Conclusion The findings support the use of the TAS-20 in cross-cultural research, and suggest that alexithymia may be a universal trait that transcends cultural differences.
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The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
“The authors report good internal consistency and test-retest reliability (alexithymia is understood as a stable construct), and the instrument has been translated and used across a substantial number of countries and cultures [51].”
From A 'choice', an 'addiction', a way 'out of the lost': Exploring self-injury in autistic people without intellectual disability (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
The TAS-20 has good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and adequate convergent and concurrent validity.
“Demonstrates good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .81) and test-retest reliability (.77, p < .01). Validity: Research using the TAS-20 demonstrates adequate levels of convergent and concurrent validity [56].”
The TAS-20 has good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81) and good test-retest reliability (0.77, p < 0.01).
“It is the most widely used instrument both in clinical and research for the evaluation of alexithymia and it has good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.81) and good test–retest reliability (0.77, p < 0.01) (Bagby et al., 1994a,b; Parker et al., 2003; Taylor et al., 2003).”
From Alexithymia and Psychological Distress in Patients with Fibromyalgia and Rheumatic Disease (2019) · cites this paper as Taylor et al., 2003
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- Authors
- Taylor, G. J., Bagby, R. M., & Parker, J. D. A.
- Affiliations
- Mount Sinai Hospital (CA)
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
- Trent University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Taylor, Graeme J
- Venue
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-09
- Volume
- 55
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 277-283
- ISSN
- 0022-3999 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2054523308
- Cited by
- 673
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 56 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 41 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 29
- FWCI
- 7.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychosomatic Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- Toronto Alexithymia Scale, TAS-20, alexithymia, cross-cultural validity, factor structure, internal consistency, scale translation, response bias
- MeSH terms
- Affective Symptoms, Cultural Characteristics, Humans, Language, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Sensitivity and Specificity, Reproducibility of Results
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