Integrated modelling of alexithymia: Psychological predictors and method of response functions

• Published in: Journal of health psychology Vol. 19; no. 7; pp. 887 - 896
• Main Author: Malkina-Pykh, Irina G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-07-2014
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Affective Symptoms - etiology; Affective Symptoms - psychology; Autonomy; Female; Forecasting; Forecasts; Health care; Hostility; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Modelling; Models, Psychological; Psychology; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; alexithymia; method of response functions; integrated modelling; psychological predictors
• ISSN: 1359-1053; 1461-7277
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105313481078

The objective of this study was to construct the integrated model of alexithymia (ALEX) based on the method of response function approach that allows to predict the impact of the subjects’ psychological variables on the actual level of alexithymia. Extraversion, neuroticism, autonomy, locus of control and hostility were selected as the appropriate predictors of the alexithymia level. Evaluation of ALEX model’s parameters and its validation was provided on a wide set of experimental data (N = 224). ALEX model predicts the level of alexithymia satisfactorily and allows obtaining the partial response functions of its psychological predictors.