Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)

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

The TAS is a 20-item instrument that is one of the most commonly used measures of alexithymia. Alexithymia refers to people who have trouble identifying and describing emotions and who tend to minimise emotional experience and focus attention externally.

The TAS-20 has 3 subscales:
• Difficulty Describing Feelings subscale is used to measure difficulty describing emotions. 5 items – 2, 4, 11, 12, 17.
• Difficulty Identifying Feeling subscale is used to measure difficulty identifying emotions. 7 items – 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14.
• Externally-Oriented Thinking subscale is used to measure the tendency of individuals to focus their attention externally. 8 items – 5, 8, 10, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20.

Scoring: The TAS-20 is a self-report scale that is comprised of 20 items. Items are rated using a 5-point Likert scale whereby 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree. There are 5 items that are negatively keyed (items 4, 5, 10, 18 and 19). The total alexithymia score is the sum of responses to all 20 items, while the score for each subscale factor is the sum of the responses to that subscale. The TAS-20 uses cutoff scoring: equal to or less than 51 = non-alexithymia, equal to or greater than 61 = alexithymia. Scores of 52 to 60 = possible alexithymia.

Reliability: 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. The 3 factor structure was found to be theoretically congruent with the alexithymia construct. In addition, it has been found to be stable and replicable across clinical and nonclinical populations.

Reference: Bagby, R. M., Parker, J. D. A. & Taylor, G. J. (1994). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale-I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38, 23-32." Information quoted from Ciarrochi, J. & Bilich, L. (2006). Process measures of potential relevance to ACT. Unpublished manuscript, University of Wollongong, Australia.

Please see http://www.gtaylorpsychiatry.org/tas.htm for additional details.

admin February 16, 2008 - 7:25pm

TAS-20 - Albanian

Arenliu, A., Krasniqi, B., Kelmendi, K., & Statovci, S. (2021). Exploring Factor Validity of 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in Albanian Clinical and Nonclinical Samples. SAGE Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020988726

Community July 16, 2021 - 10:47am

TAS-20 - Arabic

El Abiddine, F. Z., Dave, H., Aldhafri, S., El-Astal, S., Hemaid, F., & Parker, J. D. A. (2017). Cross-validation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: Results from an Arabic multicenter study. Personality and Individual Differences, 113, 219–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.03.017

Community July 16, 2021 - 2:44pm

TAS-20 - Bulgarian

Popov, V., Psederska, E., Peneva, E., Bozgunov, K., Vasilev, G., Nedelchev, D., & Vassileva, J. (2016). Psychometric Characteristics of the Bulgarian Version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Psychological Research, 19(2), 25-42. The Bulgarian translation of the TAS-20 items is in table 1. The full text of the article can be found at venpopov.com

Community July 15, 2021 - 11:23pm

TAS-20 - Chinese

YUAN Yonggui, SHEN Zuohua, ZHANG Xiangrong, WU Aiqin, SUN Houchun, ZHANG Ning, ZHANG Xinbao, LI Hailin (2003) The reliability and validity of Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS - 20). SICHUAN MENTAL HEALTH, Year: 2003 Issue: 1, 25-27.

Xiongzhao Zhu, Jinyao Yi, Shuqiao Yao, Andrew G. Ryder, Graeme J. Taylor, & R. Michael Bagby (2007) Cross-cultural validation of a Chinese translation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 48(5), 489-496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2007.04.007

Ling, Y., Zeng, Y., Yuan, H., & Zhong, M. (2016). Cross-cultural validation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in Chinese adolescents. Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 23(3-4), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12298

Community July 16, 2021 - 11:13am

TAS-20 - Croatian

Kusevic, Z., Civljak, M., Rukavina, T. V., Babic, G., Loncar, M., Cusa, B. V., & Gregurek, R. (2013). The Connection between Alexithymia and Somatic Morbidity in a Population of Combat Veterans with Chronic PTSD. Acta informatica medica: AIM: journal of the Society for Medical Informatics of Bosnia & Herzegovina, 21(1), 7–11. https://doi.org/10.5455/AIM.2013.21.7-11

Community August 14, 2021 - 12:44am

TAS-20 - Czech

Anna Faltýnková (2018) Souvislost alexithymie a závislosti na online hraní. Thesis. The Czech version of the TAS-20 is in the Appendix.

Community July 16, 2021 - 9:23pm

TAS-20 - Dutch

Kooiman, C. G., Spinhoven, P., & Trijsburg, R. W. (2002). The assessment of alexithymia. A critical review of the literature and a psychometric study of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 53, 1083-1090. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00348-3

Meganck, R., Vanheule, S., & Desmet, M. (2008). Does the TAS-20 measure alexithymia? A study of natural language use. 28th European Conference on Psychosomatic Research, Abstracts. Presented at the 28th European Conference on Psychosomatic Research (ECPR - 2012).

Inslegers, R., Meganck, R., Ooms, E., Vanheule, S., Bagby, M., Taylor, G., De Fruyt, F., et al. (2013). The Dutch language version of the Toronto structured interview for Alexithymia: reliability, concurrent validity, and factor structure. PSYCHOLOGICA BELGICA, 53(1), 93–116.

Community August 11, 2021 - 11:50pm

TAS-20 - Finnish

Matti Joukamaa, Jouko Miettunen, Pirkko Kokkonen, Minna Koskinen, Juhani Julkunen, Jussi Kauhanen, Jari Jokelainen, Juha Veijola, Kristian Läksy, Marjo-Riitta Järvelin (2001). Psychometric properties of the Finnish 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 55(2), 123-127. http://doi.org/10.1080/08039480116694

Säkkinen, P. et al. (2007) Psychometric Properties of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Prevalence of Alexithymia in a Finnish Adolescent Population. Psychosomatics, 48 (2), 154-161. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psy.48.2.154

Community July 15, 2021 - 11:12pm

TAS-20 - French

Watters, C.A., Taylor, G.J., Ayearst, L., Bagby, R.M. (2019) Measurement invariance of English and French language versions of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 35, 29-36.

Loas, G., Fremaux, D., & Marchand, M. P. (1995). Etude de la structure factorielle et de la cohérence interne de la version française de l'échelle d'alexithymie de Toronto à 20 items (TAS-20) chez un groupe de 183 sujets sains [Factorial structure and internal consistency of the French version of the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in a group of 183 healthy probands]. L'Encephale, 21(2), 117–122.

Loas G., Otmani O., Verrier A., Fremaux D. & Marchand M.P. (1995) Factor Analysis of the French Version of the 20-ltem Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Psychopathology, 29, 139–144. https://doi.org/10.1159/000284983

Community July 16, 2021 - 5:17pm

TAS-20 - German

Grabe, H.J., Löbel, S, Dittrich, D., Bagby, R.M., Taylor, G.J., Quilty, L.C., Spitzer, C., Barnow, S., Mathier, F., Jenewein, J., Freyberger, H.J., Ruffer, M. (2009). The German Version of the Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia: Factor Structure, Reliability, and Concurrent Validity in a Psychiatric Patient Sample. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 50, 424-430.

Bach, M., Bach, D., de Zwaan, M., & Serim, M. (1996). Validierung der deutschen Version der 20-Item Toronto-Alexithymie-Skala bei Normalpersonen und psychiatrischen Patienten [Validation of the German version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in normal adults and psychiatric inpatients]. PPmP: Psychotherapie Psychosomatik Medizinische Psychologie, 46(1), 23–28.

Community July 30, 2021 - 5:49pm

TAS-20 - Greek

Ioannis Tsaousis, Graeme Taylor, Lena Quilty, Stelios Georgiades, Marios Stavrogiannopoulos, R. Michael Bagby (2010) Validation of a Greek adaptation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 51(4), 443-448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2009.09.005 Full text of the article is on psychology.soc.uoc.gr

Community July 16, 2021 - 10:56am

TAS-20 - Hindi

Pandey, R., Mandal, M.K., Taylor, G.J. & Parker, J.D.A. (1996). Cross-cultural alexithymia: Development and validation of a Hindi translation of the 20-item Toronto alexithymia scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 52, 173-176. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199603)52:2<173::AID-JCLP8>3.0.CO;2-V

Community July 19, 2021 - 8:49pm

TAS-20 - Hungarian

Cserjesi Renata , Luminet Olivier , Lenard Laszlo (2007) RELIABILITY AND FACTOR VALIDITY OF THE HUNGARIAN TRANSLATION OF THE TORONTO ALEXITHYMIA SCALE IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SAMPLES. Magyar Pszichologiai Szemle (Hungarian Psychological Review), 62,3, 355-368.

Cserjesi, Renata & Luminet, Olivier & Lénárd, László. (2007). A Torontói Alexitímia Skála (TAS-20) magyar változata: Megbízhatósága és faktorvaliditása egyetemista mintán [Hungarian version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20): Reliability and factor validity in a student sample]. Magyar Pszichológiai Szemle, 62. https://doi.org/10.1556/mpszle.62.2007.3.4

Community July 16, 2021 - 4:56pm

TAS-20 - Indonesian

Geni, P. (2020). Struktur Internal dan Validitas Konstruk dari Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) dengan Sampel Mahasiswa pada Universitas di Jakarta. JP3I (Jurnal Pengukuran Psikologi dan Pendidikan Indonesia), 9(1), 30-40. https://doi.org/10.15408/jp3i.v9i1.15450

Community July 19, 2021 - 8:52pm

TAS-20 - Italian

Bressi, C. et al. (1996) Cross validation of the factor structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: An Italian multicenter study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 41(6), 551-559. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(96)00228-0

Community July 16, 2021 - 11:10am

TAS-20 - Japanese

Komaki, G., Maeda, M., Arimura, T., Nakata, A., Shinoda, H., OgataI Shimura, M., Kawamura, N., & Kubo, C. (2003) The reliability and factorial validity of the Japanese version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 55(2), 143. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00360-X

Moriguchi, Y., Maeda, M., Igarashi, T. et al. (2007) Age and gender effect on alexithymia in large, Japanese community and clinical samples: a cross-validation study of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). BioPsychoSocial Med 1, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-1-7

Community July 16, 2021 - 10:50am

TAS-20 - Korean

Woon-Sun Jeong, et al. (2003). Comparison of Reliability and Validity of Three Korean Versions of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Psycho-Physical Medicine, 11(1), 77 - 88.

Community July 27, 2021 - 11:05pm

TAS-20 - Latvian

Laura Bubko, Annija Mežmača, Inese Jurķāne, Zane Lucāne, Artūrs Ancāns “TORONTO – ALEXITHYMIA SCALE 20” SCORES AMONG PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS COMPARED TO OTHER INPATIENTS. PROCEEDINGS OF THE 58th INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF DAUGAVPILS UNIVERSITY.

Community July 26, 2021 - 9:57pm

TAS-20 - Lithuanian

Beresnevaitė, M., Taylor, G.J., Parker, J.D.A., & Andziulis, A. (1998). Cross validation of the factor structure of a Lithuanian translation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Acta Medica Lituanica, 5(2): 146-149.

Community July 21, 2021 - 4:50pm

TAS-20 - Macedonian

Pop-Jordanova, N., Polenakovic, M., Pop-Jordanov, J., Shaltanovska, H., & Trajceska, L. (2013). Are Macedonian chronic patients alexithymic? Prilozi (Makedonska Akademija na Naukite i umetnostite. Oddelenie za Medicinski Nauki), 34(3), 31-38.

Pop-Jordanova N, Boskovska V. (1995). TAS-20 as a measure of alexithymia in Macedonian population. Neurologia Croatica, 44(1), 60.

Community September 3, 2021 - 1:22am

TAS-20 - Norwegian

Pedersen, G., Normann-Eide, E., Eikenaes, I. U., Kvarstein, E. H., & Wilberg, T. (2021 in press). Psychometric evaluation of the Norwegian Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in a multisite clinical sample of patients with personality disorders and personality problems. Journal of clinical psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23270

Community December 5, 2021 - 2:11am

TAS-20 - Persian/Farsi

Besharat, M. A. (2007). Reliability and Factorial Validity of a Farsi Version of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale with a Sample of Iranian Students. Psychological Reports, 101(1), 209–220. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.101.1.209-220

Besharat, M. (2008). Psychometric Characteristics of Persian Version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 in Clinical and Non-Clinical Samples. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 33(1), 1-6.

Community August 11, 2021 - 4:16pm

TAS-20 - Polish

Ścigała, D.K., Zdankiewicz-Ścigała, E., Bedyńska, S. & Kokoszka, A. (2020) Psychometric Properties and Configural Invariance of the Polish – Language Version of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in Non-clinical and Alcohol Addict Persons. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01241

Ścigała, Dawid & Zdankiewicz-Ścigała, Elżbieta & Bedyńska, Sylwia & Kokoszka, Andrzej. (2020). Toronto Alexithymia Scale TAS -20 PL. The Polish TAS-20 is available on researchgate.

Community August 26, 2021 - 7:19pm

TAS-20 - Portuguese

Verissimo R. (2001). Versão Portuguesa da Escala de Alexitimia de Toronto de 20-itens--I. Adaptação linguística, validação semântica, e estudo de fiabilidade [The Portuguese version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale -- I. Linguistic adaptation, semantic validation, and reliability study]. Acta medica portuguesa, 14(5-6), 529–536.

Stivaleti Colombarolli, M., Carolina Zuanazzi, A., Koich Miguel, F., & Giromini, L. (2019). Psychometric properties of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in Brazil. Transcultural Psychiatry, 56(5), 992–1010. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461519847312

Community July 16, 2021 - 11:12am

TAS-20 - Romanian

Raluca A. Morariu, Lindsay E. Ayearst, Graeme J. Taylor, R. Michael Bagby (2013). DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A ROMANIAN ADAPTATION OF THE 20-ITEM TORONTO ALEXITHYMIA SCALE (TAS-20-RO). Revista Romana de Psihiatrie, 4. Full text of the article is available on www.romjpsychiat.ro

Community July 16, 2021 - 11:01am

TAS-20 - Russian

Starostina, E. G., Taylor, G. D., Quilty, L. K., Bobrov, A. E., Moshnyaga, E. N., Puzyreva, N. V., Bobrova, M. A., Ivashkina, M. G., Krivchikova, M. N., Shavrikova, E. P., & Bagby, M. (2010). Торонтская шкала алекситимии (20 пунктов): валидизация русскоязычной версии на выборке терапевтических больных [Toronto Alexithymia Scale (20 points): validation of the Russian-language version on a sample of therapeutic patients]. Social and Clinical Psychiatry, 20(4), 31–38.

Community August 26, 2021 - 11:26pm

TAS-20 - Serbian

Trajanovic, N., Djurić, V., Latas, M., Milovanović, S., Jovanović, A., & Djurić, D. (2013). Serbian translation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: psychometric properties and the new methodological approach in translating scales. Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo, 141 5-6, 366-70. http://doi.org/10.2298/SARH1306366T
The Serbian translation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale is in Appendix I. The full text of the article is available on www.semanticscholar.org

Community July 16, 2021 - 11:04am

TAS-20 - Slovak

LÁTALOVÁ, V. & PILÁRIK, Ľ. (2015) OVERENIE RELIABILITY A FAKTOROVEJ VALIDITY SLOVENSKEJ VERZIE DOTAZNÍKA TORONTO ALEXITHYMIA SCALE-20 NA SÚBORE SLOVENSKÝCH ŠTUDENTIEK. Ceskoslovenska Psychologie, 59, 4,369-379.

Community July 16, 2021 - 9:15pm

TAS-20 - Somali

References:

Kankaanpää, S. (2017). Mental Health Among Somali Origin Migrants in Finland. Dissertation: University of Tampere.

Community March 31, 2022 - 12:46pm

TAS-20 - Spanish

González-Arias, M., Martínez-Molina, A., Galdames , S., Urzúa, A. (2018) Psychometric Properties of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale in the Chilean Population. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 963. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00963 The TAS-20 Spanish version is in Table 1.

Fernández-Jiménez, E., Pérez-San-Gregoria, A., Taylor, G.J., Bagby, R.M., Ayearst, L.E., Izquierdo, G. (2013). Psychometric properties of a revised Spanish 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale adaptation in multiple sclerosis patients. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 13, 226-234.

Community July 15, 2021 - 11:26pm

TAS-20 - Swedish

Simonsson-Sarnecki, M., Lundh, L. G., Törestad, B., Bagby, R. M., Taylor, G. J., & Parker, J. D. (2000). A Swedish translation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: cross-validation of the factor structure. Scandinavian journal of psychology, 41(1), 25–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9450.00167

Community July 16, 2021 - 11:06am

TAS-20 - Turkish

Güleç, Hüseyin & Kose, Samet & Yazici, Medine & Çıtak, Serhat & Evren, Cuneyt & Borckardt, Jeffrey & Sayar, Kemal. (2009). The Turkish Version of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20): Reliability, Validity, and Factorial Structure. Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 19, 214-220.
The Turkish Translation of the TAS-20 is in the Appendix. The full text of the article is available on halileksi.net

Community July 16, 2021 - 11:08am

TAS-20 - Urdu

Saba Ghayas, Sadia Niazi, Maria Ghazal and Wajeeha Tahir (2017) Urdu Translation and Validation of Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 43(1), 114-12

Community August 15, 2021 - 11:43pm