Creative Artistic Achievement Is Related to Lower Levels of Alexithymia

Abstract

Alexithymia is characterized by deficits in the ability to identify, differentiate, and describe emotions-abilities that are of importance for social interactions, well-being, and, consequently, also for health. The aim of this study was to investigate whether achievements in cultural activities are associated with alexithymia. Participants from the Swedish Twin Registry were 2,279 men and 3,152 women in the ages 27 to 54. Cultural achievement was measured with the Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ) in which participants estimate their achievement in the domains writing, music, visual arts, theater, and dance on a 7-point scale. Alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Score (TAS 20). In sex separated, age, and educationadjusted multivariate analyses, nonpractitioners, amateurs, and professionals in the 5 different CAQ domains were compared with regard to alexithymia scores. For both men and women, achievement in writing and music contributed statistically and independently of one another to a low alexithymia score. In addition, achievement in visual arts contributed independently to low alexithymia score in men and achievement in theatre to low alexithymia score in women. Total creative achievement was calculated as a sum score across domains, and the distribution divided into tertile groups. These groups were compared with regard to alexithymia scores. Large tertile differences were found in both sexes. The results show differences between modalities and cumulative effects of multiple creative achievements.

Emotion Regulation Tendencies and Leadership Performance: An Examination of Cognitive and Behavioral Regulation Strategies

“…Emotion recognition, the ability to identify emotions, may be a precursor to effective emotion regulation (Joseph and Newman, 2010). On the other hand, personality constructs such as alexithymia, which reflects the inability to identify and describe emotions (Lennartsson et al, 2017), are likely to have detrimental effects on a leader's ability to properly regulate their emotions in the workplace. Future research should examine individual differences that benefit and hinder leader emotion regulation (Gooty et al, 2010).…”

Parental bonding, adult attachment, and theory of mind: A developmental model of alexithymia and alcohol‐related risk

“…Dysfunctional parental (primarily maternal) bonding, insecure adult attachment, and deficient ToM were all expected to show positive relationships with alexithymia and to account for a substantial amount of variance in alexithymia in a hierarchical regression model. As alexithymia has been previously reported to vary in some studies according to demographic factors of age (Lane, Sechrest, & Riedel, ; Mattila, Salminen, Nummi, & Joukamaa, ), gender (Levant, Hall, Williams, & Hasan, ), and education (Lennartsson, Horwitz, Theorell, & Ullen, ; Pasini, Chiaie, Seripa, & Ciani, ), such factors were controlled in the regression model. Negative moods such as depression, anxiety, and stress are common correlates of alexithymia (e.g., Lyvers, Kohlsdorf, et al, ) and thus their potential influences on current responding were also controlled.…”

Alexithymia, attachment security and negative mood

“…Demographic factors were controlled given that the variables of interest have been reported to vary in relation to such factors in previous work. For example, alexithymia has been reported to vary by age (Mattila et al, 2006), sex (Levant et al, 2009), and education (Lennartsson et al, 2017). Hierarchical regression was conducted first to see if the coefficient for alexithymia decreased after insecure attachment was entered into the model, suggesting mediation; this would justify the mediation test.…”