Abstract

This study aimed to translate and validate the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) into Korean, a new scale for measuring alexithymia that could separately reflect positive and negative emotions. A sample of 300 adults aged 19 and above was surveyed. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to identify the factor structure that could best fit the K-PAQ. The convergent validity was evaluated against established alexithymia scales, TAS-20K and K-BVAQ. Additionally, concurrent validity was assessed concerning emotional difficulties and emotion regulation. Results revealed that the bifactor model comprising Positive DIF, Negative DIF, Positive DDF, Negative DDF, and EOT as group factors and a general factor was the best fit for the K-PAQ. The K-PAQ significantly predicted emotional difficulties such as depression, anxiety, stress, somatization and repression. In conclusion, the K-PAQ exhibited a stable factor structure that accounted for emotional valence and demonstrated higher internal consistency compared to existing scales, confirming that it could be used as a reliable and valid tool for measuring alexithymia.