Alexithymia and induced moods in alcohol-dependent males

Abstract

37 male alcoholics were divided into alexithymic, borderline, and nonalexithymic groups that underwent musical mood inductions that included shifts in the valence of classical musical selections to produce contrast effects: (a) from positive to negative to positive, and (b) from negative to positive to negative. At baseline, the alexithymic group was higher on negative affect than the other two groups, but the alexithymic and nonalexithymic groups did not differ on positive affect. Although all inductions produced negative changes in affect, the six kinds of inductions were ordered as theoretically predicted in terms of the one expected to produce the least (i.e. positive music, double shift) to the most (i.e. negative music, double shift) negative change in affect from baseline, when positive affect was the dependent variable. Larger changes in negative affect from baseline were induced in the alexithymic than the other groups, when magnitude but not direction of change was measured. The results support the utility of using shifts among stimuli of positive and negative emotional valence to create inductions of different intensities. They also call into question the view that alexithymics are unable to recognize and express emotions, regardless of their valence.