Does the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire Offer a Multidimensional Measurement of the Alexithymia Construct?

Abstract

The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) was developed to assess alexithymia as a multidimensional construct consistent with the attention-appraisal model. This study evaluated the hierarchical structure of the PAQ using Goldberg's bass-ackwards method across student and community samples. Results consistently revealed a general alexithymia factor at the highest level of the hierarchy, with limited evidence of stable or distinct dimensions at the lower levels. Although some components, such as externally oriented thinking and positive emotion valence items showed partial differentiation, the overall pattern did not support the proposed five-factor dimensional model, indicating that the PAQ does not provide a reliable multidimensional assessment of the alexithymia construct. While the PAQ was developed to provide a multidimensional profile by incorporating both positive and negative emotion processing, our results indicate that it is best conceptualized and interpreted as measuring a single, unidimensional construct.