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A Behavioral-Genetic Study of Alexithymia and its Relationships with Trait Emotional Intelligence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Holly M. Baughman ,
Sara Schwartz ,
Julie Aitken Schermer ,
Livia Veselka ,
K. V. Petrides  and
Philip A. Vernon
Holly M. Baughman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada
Sara Schwartz
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada
Julie Aitken Schermer
Affiliation:
Management and Organizational Studies, University of Western Ontario, Canada
Livia Veselka
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada
K. V. Petrides
Affiliation:
London Psychometric Laboratory, University College London, United Kingdom
Philip A. Vernon*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Philip A. Vernon, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2. E-mail: vernon@uwo.ca

Abstract

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The present study is the first to examine relationships between alexithymia and trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) at the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental levels. The study was also conducted to resolve inconsistencies in previous twin studies that have provided estimates of the extent to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in alexithymia. Participants were 216 monozygotic and 45 dizygotic same-sex twin pairs who completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. In a pilot study, a sub-sample of 118 MZ and 27 DZ pairs also completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. Results demonstrated that a combination of genetic and non-shared environmental influences contribute to individual differences in alexithymia. As expected, alexithymia and trait EI were negatively correlated at the phenotypic level. Bivariate behavioral genetic analyses showed that that all but one of these correlations was primarily attributable to correlated genetic factors and secondarily to correlated non-shared environmental factors.

Keywords

alexithymiatrait emotional self-efficacybehavior geneticsTEIQue
Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 14 , Issue 6 , December 2011 , pp. 539 - 543
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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