Abstract
BackgroundAlexithymia is characterised by difficulties identifying and describing emotions. Few studies have investigated how alexithymia influences decision-making under different conditions (ambiguity and risk). This study aimed to examine whether alexithymia contributes to impairment in decision-making.MethodThis study included 42 participants with high scores in the Chinese version of Toronto Alexithymia Scale (alexithymia group), and 44 matched subjects with low scores (control group). Decision-making was measured using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Game of Dice Task (GDT).ResultsThe main findings of this study revealed selective deficits in IGT performance for the alexithymia group, while GDT performance was unimpaired when compared with the control group. In IGT, total netscores were lower for the alexithymia group compared to the control group, particularly with regard to block 5. Moreover, the alexithymia individuals selected significantly more adverse cards than the controls, indicating significant decision-making impairments.ConclusionAlexithymia selectively influences decision-making under ambiguity.
Highlights
Alexithymia is characterised by difficulties identifying and describing emotions
The main findings of this study revealed selective deficits in Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance for the alexithymia group, while Game of Dice Task (GDT) performance was unimpaired when compared with the control group
In IGT, total netscores were lower for the alexithymia group compared to the control group, with regard to block 5
Summary
Alexithymia is characterised by difficulties identifying and describing emotions. Few studies have investigated how alexithymia influences decision-making under different conditions (ambiguity and risk). This study aimed to examine whether alexithymia contributes to impairment in decision-making. Several recent studies have supported the hypothesis that emotions may modulate human behaviour and cognition, and many researchers have extensively examined the influence of negative emotions on higher cognitive functions [1]. Inappropriate activation of the negative emotion system may contribute to the onset of some psychiatric disorders [3]. Alexithymia (ALEX) is typically characterised by difficulties describing, understanding or identifying self-other emotions. This condition was originally thought to be a syndrome exhibited by patients with psychosomatic and psychiatric disorders [4].
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