Investigating the role of alexithymia on the empathic deficits found in schizotypy and autism spectrum traits

Personality and Individual Differences
Rachel V AaronSohee Park

Abstract

Alexithymia, the inability to identify and describe one's emotional experience, is elevated in many clinical populations, and related to poor interpersonal functioning. Alexithymia is also associated with empathic deficits in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Accordingly, a better understanding of alexithymia could elucidate the nature of social-cognitive deficits transdiagnostically. We investigated alexithymia and components of empathy in relation to schizotypal and autism spectrum traits in healthy college students. Specifically, we examined higher-order components of empathic processing that involve perspective taking and other-oriented concern, which are reduced in alexithymia. Higher-order empathic processing was inversely correlated with both schizotypal and autism spectrum traits. Bootstrapping techniques revealed that alexithymia had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between higher-order empathy and these personality traits; thus, alexithymia contributes uniquely to their relationship. These findings suggest alexithymia represents one possible mechanism for the development of empathic deficits in these populations. These results are consistent with the perspective that awareness of one's own e...Continue Reading

Citations

Nov 5, 2016·Autism : the International Journal of Research and Practice·Sebastian B GaiggGeoffrey Bird
Apr 8, 2017·Scientific Reports·Korina WinterPhilipp Kanske
Apr 11, 2015·Frontiers in Psychology·Joel S PetermanSohee Park
Oct 28, 2015·Health and Quality of Life Outcomes·Ewa PisulaWojciech Pisula
Jun 2, 2016·Autism : the International Journal of Research and Practice·Emily TrimmerJacqueline Ann Rushby
Jan 26, 2021·Frontiers in Psychology·Andrew J LampiTanya M Evans
Aug 7, 2021·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Rebecca BrewerGeoffrey Bird

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