TAS-20
Toronto Alexithymia Scale
A 20-item self-report measure of alexithymia across three subscales.
For each statement, select the response that best describes you. Answer based on how you generally experience things.
About the TAS-20
The Toronto Alexithymia Scale is the most widely used clinical measure of alexithymia — difficulty identifying, describing, and processing emotions. Developed by Bagby, Parker, and Taylor (1994), it assesses three facets: difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty describing feelings (DDF), and externally-oriented thinking (EOT).
20 items on a 5-point Likert scale. Designed for adults (16+). Takes 5–10 minutes. Available in 30+ languages.
Scoring
Items are scored 1–5 (five items are reverse-scored: 4, 5, 10, 18, 19). The total range is 20–100. Scores of 51 or below indicate no alexithymia; 52–60 indicate possible alexithymia; 61 or above indicate alexithymia is likely present.
Alexithymia & autism
Research suggests 40–65% of autistic individuals have clinically significant alexithymia. Recent work indicates that alexithymia — not autism itself — drives many of the emotional processing differences historically attributed to autism, including reduced affective empathy and difficulty reading facial expressions.
Reliability
The TAS-20 demonstrates good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Its three-factor structure has been replicated across clinical and non-clinical populations in multiple cultures.
Important: Individuals with high alexithymia may find it difficult to accurately self-report their emotional awareness, which is a known limitation of all self-report alexithymia measures. Consider clinical interview for a fuller picture.
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(1), 23–32.