Alexithymia and Cognitive Schemas

Karolina Ginalska

Abstract


The article deals with the issue of emotional difficulties resulting from unfavorable events in early childhood. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the severity of alexithymia and the severity of disadaptive cognitive schemas. The research involved 79 people aged 20-45 years. The Polish adaptation of the Bermond–Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (ALEX-40) and an abridged version of the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-3-PL) were used during the study. It was found that there are significant correlations between the symptoms characteristic of alexithymia and the intensity of some cognitive schemas. The dimension of verbalization of emotional sensations is significantly related to the person's manifestation of intensified schemas: emotional inhibition, following merciless norms, social isolation, emotional deprivation and a tendency to punish themselves. The dimension of verbalization of emotional sensations is significantly related to the person's manifestation of intensified schemas: emotional inhibition, following merciless norms, social isolation, emotional deprivation, and a tendency to inflict penalties on themselves. Correlations with the dimension of the degree of imagination formation and cognitive schemas are low and concern schemas of subordination, privilege/domination, insufficient self-control/discipline and pessimism.


Keywords


alexithymia; cognitive schemas; emotional difficulties

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/j.2020.33.3.191-203
Date of publication: 2020-10-31 02:04:19
Date of submission: 2020-04-21 22:21:17


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