Empathy deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be attributable to alexithymia, which is common in ASD. Alexithymia is defined by deficient emotional self-awareness and an overly concrete or externally oriented cognitive style. The present study examined this hypothesis, with a focus on the externally oriented thinking (EOT) facet of alexithymia which was previously found to be uniquely associated with deficits in facial recognition of emotions and empathy. There were 331 participants (104 males, 227 females) aged 18-30 years (M = 25.93 years) recruited online. They completed the Autism Quotient (AQ), Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 (TAS-20), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) indices of emotional and cognitive empathy, and demographic questions. Hierarchical regressions followed by path analyses indicated mediation of the negative relationships of ASD scores with emotional and cognitive empathy by EOT. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Previous work implicated alexithymia and reward sensitivity as risk factors for excessive internet use (internet addiction [IA]). Both personality traits have been linked to deficits of frontal lobe executive self-regulation. The present study proposed that frontal dysfunction underlies the links of alexithymia and reward sensitivity with IA symptoms, while also assessing negative mood as another potential mediator. An online sample of 310 internet users aged 18-65 years completed measures of alexithymia, reward sensitivity, negative mood, and IA symptoms. The Frontal Systems Behaviour Scale (FrSBe) assessed signs of frontal dysfunction. Hierarchical regression controlling for demographic variables accounted for 52% of variance in IA symptoms; reward sensitivity, negative mood, and executive dysfunction were highly significant in the final model. Path analysis indicated that associations of alexithymia and reward sensitivity with IA symptoms were mediated by the FrSBe Executive Dysfunction subscale and negative mood. Methodological limitations and potential theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been reportedly associated with excessive internet use, also known as internet addiction. As ADHD is the most common comorbidity in ASD, the present study examined the possibility that ADHD symptoms, and/or trait and mood factors linked to ASD, ADHD and internet addiction, could account for the association of ASD with internet addiction symptoms. A nonclinical young adult sample of 248 internet using men and women completed self-report measures of ASD and ADHD symptoms, alexithymia, impulsivity, negative moods and internet addiction symptoms. Scores on the ASD and ADHD symptom measures were normally distributed, consistent with the notion that the corresponding disorders represent extreme, impairing ends of population distributions of their symptoms. Hierarchical regression followed by path analysis indicated that the relationship between ASD and internet addiction symptoms was fully mediated by ADHD symptoms and negative moods. Further, the relationship between ADHD and internet addiction symptoms was partially mediated by impulsivity and negative moods. Present findings point to the mediating roles of ADHD symptoms and negative moods in the association of ASD with internet addiction symptoms.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common comorbidity in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ADHD is a risk factor for alcohol misuse whereas ASD is often regarded as protective; however, research on ASD and alcohol use has yielded conflicting findings, sometimes implicating the role of comorbid ADHD. The possibility that certain transdiagnostic features (i.e., characteristics associated with multiple disorders) may underlie relationships of both disorders to alcohol use in adults was examined in the present study. A nonclinical young adult sample of 248 alcohol users (117 men, 131 women) completed validated self-report measures of ASD and ADHD symptoms as well as the transdiagnostic features alexithymia, impulsivity, and negative moods. ASD and ADHD symptoms were normally distributed, suggesting that the respective disorders represent extreme, dysfunctional ends of population distributions of symptoms. Path analysis indicated that the significant positive association between ASD and ADHD symptom measures was fully mediated by alexithymia, impulsivity, and negative moods. Hierarchical regression and path analysis indicated that the positive relationship between ADHD symptoms and alcohol use severity was fully mediated by transdiagnostic features, particularly alexithymia and impulsivity, whereas the relationship between ASD and alcohol use severity was positively mediated by these features (especially alexithymia), with a highly significant and negative direct effect. Present findings may help reconcile previous conflicting evidence on the relationship of ASD to alcohol use, and the role of comorbid ADHD, by emphasizing the roles of alexithymia and impulsivity in both ASD and ADHD as transdiagnostic traits promoting excessive drinking.

Research on aspects of dreaming associated with alexithymia has yielded mixed results. The present study recruited a young adult online sample of 577 participants who completed validated indices of alexithymia, emotion suppression, negative moods, and eight aspects of dreaming, with a focus on evaluating a counterintuitive previous finding that alexithymia and two of its core facets were associated with greater self-reported typical emotional intensity of dreams. Total alexithymia and facet scores showed differential relationships to aspects of dreaming including dream recall frequency, emotionality, meaningfulness, nightmare frequency, nightmare distress, usefulness of dreams in problem-solving and creativity, and learning about oneself through dreams. Planned hierarchical regression controlling for demographics, alcohol use, and dream recall frequency indicated that the difficulties identifying feelings (DIF) facet of alexithymia was a significant positive predictor of dream emotionality, whereas the externally oriented thinking (EOT) facet was a significant negative predictor. Stress, but not emotion suppression, mediated the positive relationship between DIF and dream emotionality. The likely role of dream emotionality in higher ratings of nightmare distress, dream meaningfulness, and learning about oneself through dreams among those with higher DIF scores is noted, along with other findings and the strengths and limitations of the study.

Colour is a ubiquitous perceptual stimulus, and theoretical models of colour and psychological functioning posit that colour plays a key role in influencing the behaviour and mental function of a person. One investigation and two experiments investigated the colour metaphor representation of happiness concepts and the mapping mode of the colour metaphor of happiness concepts. A questionnaire was conducted to explore the relationship between colour preference and happiness. Study 2 shows that the identification of happiness words was facilitated more when words were viewed on an orange background than when viewed on a blue background. Study 3 further verifies the links of the connection between colour and happiness at the sentence level, and the orange-happiness facilitation effect was replicated. These results document a novel influence of colour on emotion recognition processes, where an orange background may facilitate the processing of the concept of happiness and provide support for conceptual metaphor theory and colour-in-context theory.

Alexithymia has been linked to risky or problematic alcohol use, with a common interpretation invoking deficient emotion regulation and use of alcohol to cope with distress. An alternative explanation positing a general deficit of interoception in alexithymia suggested that poor awareness of internal cues of overconsumption may promote excessive drinking. The present study assessed predictions based on these hypotheses in 337 young adult alcohol users recruited online. Participants completed validated questionnaire indices of alcohol use, alexithymia, emotion regulation, interoceptive sensibility, and sensitivity to reward and punishment. Alcohol use was positively correlated with alexithymia and reward sensitivity, and negatively correlated with emotion regulation as expected, but was uncorrelated with interoceptive sensibility. Alexithymia was not significantly correlated with most dimensions of interoceptive sensibility but was highly negatively correlated with emotion regulation. Hierarchical regression controlling for demographic variables indicated that alexithymia, emotion regulation, sex, and sensitivity to reward and punishment were significant predictors of alcohol use levels. Bootstrapped mediation test controlling for all other variables indicated mediation of the association between alexithymia and alcohol use by deficient emotion regulation but not interoceptive sensibility. Results supported the emotion regulation deficit interpretation of the association of alexithymia with alcohol use. Limitations concerning interoception measurement, online samples, self-report measures, cross-sectional designs, and collection of data during the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed. Future research could follow up on these findings by testing interoceptive accuracy in addition to interoceptive sensibility in relation to alexithymia and alcohol use.

Cancer survivors commonly contend with concurrent cognitive difficulties such as problems with attention and concentration, and psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. However, the associations between attentional and emotional difficulties within the specific context of melanoma survivors remain relatively unexplored. Premised on attentional control theory, the current study employed a cross-sectional design to explore the interplay among trait anxiety (dispositional) and situational anxiety (cancer-related worry), depression and attentional control (ability to inhibit distractors and flexibly shift within and between tasks) in a sample of 187 melanoma survivors aged 18 to 58 years (Mage = 36.83 years, SDage = 5.44 years; 93% female). Data were analyzed using a moderated multiple regression, with anxiety, cancer worry and depression as predictors, and attentional control as the criterion variable. After statistically controlling for the variance of chemotherapy, we found that individuals with higher trait anxiety and higher cancer-related worry reported greater attentional control at low levels of depression, yet poorer attentional control at high depression, relative to individuals with low anxiety. Our findings suggest that anxiety and depression are differentially related to attentional control in melanoma survivors. The results provide a marker for clinicians addressing anxiety and depression in this population. Implications for primary healthcare are discussed.

ABSTRACT Objective Alexithymia, a trait dimension defined by difficulties identifying and describing feelings and an externally oriented thinking style, is often associated with negative moods such as depression, anxiety and stress as well as an insecure adult attachment style. The present study evaluated the hypothesis that the link between alexithymia and negative moods is mediated by insecure attachment, which implies a lack of social resources for coping with distress. Method A nonclinical online community sample of 206 male and female young adults recruited from throughout Australia completed validated measures of alexithymia, attachment security and negative moods. Results In a hierarchical regression model with demographic variables and socially desirable responding at step 1, alexithymia at step 2 and insecure attachment at step 3, the final model accounted for 62.4% of variance in negative moods, with alexithymia and insecure attachment as significant predictors. Bootstrapped mediation modelling, controlling for demographic variables and socially desirable responding, indicated partial mediation of the association between alexithymia and negative moods by insecure attachment. Conclusions Results point to the role of insecure attachment in the negative moods often associated with alexithymia, presumably in addition to the deficient emotional self-regulation associated with alexithymia. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: Alexithymia is associated with negative moods and maladaptive coping. Alexithymia is associated with insecure adult attachment styles. Alexithymia is associated with loneliness and interpersonal difficulties.What this topic adds: Insecure attachment mediated the association of alexithymia with negative moods. This suggests the role of insecure attachment in negative moods associated with alexithymia. Therapy for alexithymic clients may thus benefit from targeting insecure attachment, but replication is needed in clinical samples.

A distinction has been made between primary and secondary exercise dependence, with the latter defined as excessive exercise secondary to disordered eating and weight concerns. Based on theoretical considerations from research on the roles of trait factors in addictions, the present study used validated scales to assess alexithymia, sensitivity to reward and punishment, emotion regulation and interoception in relation to exercise dependence symptoms in Australian male and female non-binge eaters ( n = 228) and severe binge eaters ( n = 126) aged 18–30 yr. In both groups, exercise dependence symptoms were significantly positively associated with reward sensitivity and interoceptive awareness, with the latter two variables predicting exercise dependence symptoms in hierarchical regression models; punishment sensitivity was significantly negatively related to such symptoms. Alexithymia was significantly associated with exercise dependence symptoms only in non-binge eaters; in severe binge eaters, alexithymia explained 0% of unique variance. Male sex was associated with more exercise dependence symptoms in severe binge eaters only. Participants in the severe binge group scored significantly higher on measures of exercise dependence, alexithymia, risky alcohol use, and sensitivity to reward and punishment, and significantly lower on emotion regulation, compared to those in the non-binge group. Hierarchical regression models explained 25% of variance in exercise dependence symptoms in non-binge-eaters and 43% in severe binge eaters. Findings are discussed in terms of the distinction between primary and secondary exercise dependence, the role of alexithymia, study limitations including data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, and suggestions for future research.

Alexithymia has been linked to various excessive behaviors as a likely risk factor, including binge eating. Such relationships are often attributed to deficient emotional self-regulation in alexithymia, ostensibly leading to the use of maladaptive, externalized behaviors as strategies for coping with distress. An alternative view is that alexithymia reflects a fundamental deficit of interoceptive awareness that, in the case of binge eating, would suggest that internal satiety cues are poorly recognized, promoting overconsumption. The present study assessed the relationship between alexithymia and binge eating in the context of these competing hypotheses. A large online sample of young adults (n = 532) completed validated measures of alexithymia, emotion regulation, interoception, binge eating, emotional eating motivation, and sensitivity to reward and punishment. Correlations were as expected except for interoception, which showed minimal association with alexithymia or binge eating. In a hierarchical regression controlling for age, gender, education level and student status as covariates, binge eating was predicted by emotional eating motivation, emotion regulation (a negative predictor), alexithymia, and reward sensitivity, with the final model explaining 53% of variance in binge eating. Bootstrapped path analyses controlling for all other variables indicated that the relationship between alexithymia and binge eating was mediated by deficient emotion regulation but not deficient interoception, and that the relationships of both alexithymia and emotion regulation with binge eating were mediated by emotional eating motivation. Results are consistent with the notion that the association of alexithymia with binge eating reflects deficient emotion regulation in alexithymia, which can lead to adoption of maladaptive, externalized behaviors such as binge eating for coping with distress.

Alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings and an externally oriented thinking style, is associated with negative moods such as depression and anxiety. The present study examined fears of positive moods (happiness and compassion) as potential mediators of this relationship. A nonclinical online sample of 206 male and female young adults completed validated measures of alexithymia, fear of happiness, fear of compassion, and negative moods (depression, anxiety, stress). Alexithymia was positively correlated with fear of happiness, fear of compassion, and negative moods. A hierarchical regression model with alexithymia and fears of positive emotions as predictors, controlling for demographic variables and socially desirable responding, explained 64% of variance in negative moods. Mediation modelling that controlled for demographic variables and socially desirable responding indicated that fears of happiness and compassion were partial mediators of the association of alexithymia with negative moods, with the indirect effects predominating over the direct effect. Results are discussed in terms of previous research and theory as well as potential clinical implications for addressing the reported relationships of alexithymia, fears of positive emotions, and negative moods.

Alexithymia, fear of intimacy, attachment security, and mood variables were examined as predictors of satisfaction in couple relationships after accounting for age, sex, relationship length, and marital status. Participants were 158 adults (52% women and 48% men) in an ongoing couple relationship for 1-19 years. They completed validated measures of the variables of interest online. Bivariate correlations were significant for all predicted associations. Multiple mediation modelling examined the hypothesis that the low relationship satisfaction reported by those with alexithymia can be explained by fear of intimacy, insecure attachment, and negative affect, after accounting for relevant covariates. Mediation was indicated for fear of intimacy and negative affect. Such factors may merit particular attention by clinicians working with alexithymic clients in couples therapy.

There has been considerable interest in trait correlates of excessive or problematic use of the internet, known as internet addiction. However, the concept of internet addiction has been criticised as too broad. Specific forms of excessive internet use, for example, social media, may have different trait correlates compared to internet use in general. The present study compared levels of internet and social media addiction symptoms in relation to three traits previously linked to one or the other form of excessive behaviour: alexithymia, narcissism and social anxiety. There were 217 young adult social media- and internet-using participants aged 18-35 years recruited from two university campuses in southeast Queensland, Australia. They completed an online questionnaire battery that included a demographics questionnaire and widely used, validated measures of narcissism, alexithymia and social anxiety. Hierarchical regressions indicated that after controlling for demographic variables, internet addiction symptoms were predicted by social anxiety, narcissism and alexithymia, whereas social media addiction symptoms were predicted only by social anxiety and narcissism. Results suggest that the association of alexithymia with internet addiction symptoms does not encompass excessive use of social media, and support the contention that the concept of internet addiction may be too broad.

ABSTRACT Objective Exercise dependence refers to excessive exercise accompanied by addiction-like symptoms such as craving, tolerance, withdrawal, impaired control, and disruption of life domains. The present study investigated whether personality traits linked to substance and behavioural addictions show similar associations with symptoms of exercise dependence. Method Alexithymia and two forms of impulsivity, rash impulsiveness and reward sensitivity, were assessed in relation to exercise dependence symptoms in a sample of 99 physically active young adult men and women. Results All three traits showed significant positive correlations with exercise dependence symptoms and were significant predictors of such symptoms in a hierarchical regression model. Alexithymia was the strongest predictor and fully mediated the contribution of rash impulsiveness according to bootstrapped mediation analysis. Conclusions Findings suggest similar associations of addiction-linked traits with symptoms of exercise dependence and are discussed in terms of potential mechanisms. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) Exercise can become compulsive for some, with exercise dependence defined by addiction-like symptoms. (2) Alexithymia has been implicated as a risk factor for substance and behavioural addictions. (3) Two forms of impulsivity, rash impulsiveness and reward sensitivity, have been implicated as risk factors for substance and behavioural addictions. What this topic adds: (1) In physically active young adults, alexithymia was positively associated with symptoms of exercise dependence. (2) In physically active young adults, rash impulsiveness and reward sensitivity were positively associated with symptoms of exercise dependence. (3) Alexithymia fully explained the association of rash impulsiveness with exercise dependence symptoms.

Objective Alexithymia has been implicated as a risk factor for problematic substance use and other excessive behaviours including internet addiction . Impulsiveness has also been identified as a likely predisposing factor for excessive behaviours. However, as impulsivity is often elevated in alexithymia, the degree of independence of these factors in relation to excessive internet use is unclear. Method The present study assessed contributions of alexithymia, impulsivity and negative affect to variance in internet addiction symptoms in 116 internet-using female university students. Participants completed the following instruments online: demographics, Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11, Internet Addiction Test and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21. Results Measures were significantly intercorrelated in expected directions. Hierarchical regression indicated that although both alexithymia and impulsivity were highly significant predictors of internet addiction symptoms after controlling for demographic covariates, the contribution of alexithymia became nonsignificant after adding impulsivity to the model. The final model explained 37% of variance in internet addiction symptoms. Multiple mediation modelling indicated that both impulsivity and negative affect fully mediated the association of alexithymia with internet addiction symptoms. Conclusions Impulsivity and negative affect may account for the link between alexithymia and internet addiction symptoms in young women at university. What is already known about this topic: Alexithymia and impulsivity have been linked to a variety of addictive behaviors including internet addiction. Alexithymia and impulsivity have been reported to independently predict excessive alcohol use in regression models. Alexithymia may reflect deficient interoception and corresponding poor internal awareness of overconsumption cues in alcohol use. What this topic adds: In female university students, alexithymia, impulsivity, and negative affect were significant positive predictors of internet addiction symptoms in a regression model. Alexithymia was no longer significant after adding impulsivity to the model. Multiple mediation modelling indicated that impulsivity and negative affect fully mediated the association of alexithymia with internet addiction symptoms.

Like alcohol or other drugs, music is often enjoyed by humans for its mood-altering effects. However, there is substantial individual variation in emotional responding to music (ERM). The present study investigated potential roles of trait variables in ERM. Recruitment and testing of 205 adult regular music listeners was accomplished online. They were asked to complete the Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS) retrospectively by rating the felt intensity of 45 music-related emotions based on what they typically experienced when listening to their favorite music. They also completed instruments assessing traits of alexithymia, affect intensity, and empathy, as well as the Big Five factors. Alexithymia, affect intensity, and empathy, but not the Big Five, were moderately positively correlated with ERM as measured by GEMS. In a hierarchical regression, alexithymia and empathy were significant positive predictors of ERM after controlling for the other variables; extraversion was also significant in the final model. The role of empathy as a predictor of ERM was consistent with the emotional contagion interpretation of ERM. The unexpected positive relationship of alexithymia with ERM suggests that alexithymic listeners may rely on music to help them experience emotions more fully. Limitations and potential implications of the findings are discussed.

Alexithymia is a vulnerability factor for physical and mental illness that can significantly influence the daily function of alcohol-dependent patients. The aim of this study was to examine the indirect effect of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors involving alcohol craving on the relationship between alexithymia, quality of life (QoL) of psychological well-being and health status. Three hundred and eighty-one outpatients (263 males and 118 females) in treatment for alcohol dependence completed self-report measures of alexithymia, alcohol craving, GHQ-28 (QoL-psychological well-being) and SF-36 (QoL-health status). Males scored significantly higher than females on aspects of alexithymia, and females reported significantly higher levels of alcohol craving. Path analysis showed an indirect effect of alcohol craving on the relationship between alexithymia, QoL-psychological well-being and self-reported QoL-health status for males only. The current study provides important new information about impaired self-reported health status and well-being among male alcohol-dependent treatment seekers with alexithymia.

Objectives University students in Australia report higher levels of stress than non‐students of the same age, with females reporting higher stress than males. The ability to successfully adapt to, and cope with, stressful situations and events, often referred to as resilience, requires social and interpersonal resources as well as the ability to effectively self‐regulate emotions. When such resources and abilities are deficient, responses to university stress are likely to be maladaptive. Deficient emotional self‐regulation is characteristic of individuals with the subclinical personality trait alexithymia, who also tend to suffer from social and interpersonal difficulties; thus students with alexithymia may be especially susceptible to university stress and associated adverse outcomes of low resilience. The present study examined resilience in relation to alexithymia, university stress, and two common outcomes of the latter in female university students: anxiety and problematic drinking. Method Validated self‐report measures of the relevant constructs were completed online by 136 female university students from two Australian universities. All participants indicated they had English‐language proficiency and no history of serious head injury or diagnosed psychological disorder. Results Serial mediation models indicated that resilience showed the predicted protective relationship to both problematic drinking and anxiety through lower levels of alexithymia and university stress. Conclusions Findings suggest that students who lack resilience are more likely to report stress at university, as well as associated adverse outcomes such as anxiety and problematic drinking, due to deficiencies in emotional self‐regulation and inadequate use of social and interpersonal resources for successful coping.