The relationship between impulsive behavior and alexithymia in pupils

Abstract

Objective To study the relationship between impulsive behavior and alexithymia in pupils in Changsha. Methods 702 pupils were tested with Barratt impulsivity scale (BIS-11) and Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20). Results (1) Male pupils had significantly higher scores of total BIS and non-planning impulsiveness than female (24.47±5.30 vs 23.40±5.59, P<0.05; 62.25±9.46 vs 60.35±9.91, P<0.05). Pupils in elder age group had only significantly higher total score of BIS than pupils in younger age group (total: 62.36±9.69 vs 60.29±9.68, P<0.01). (2)Pupils with high impulsivity had significantly higher scores of total and factor scores of alexithymia than pupils with low impulsivity (total: 57.43±10.16 vs 46.55±8.77, P<0.01). The total scores of BIS were positively correlated with total scores of alexithymia (r=0.40, P<0.01) and factor scores of alexithymia (r=0.25~0.33, P<0.01). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that total scores of BIS explained by DIF, DDF and EOT were 18%. Conclusion There are certain gender and age differences in impulsivity impulsive behavior of 8 to 13 years old pupils. There exist the low to moderate correlations between impulsivity and alexithymia in pupils. Key words: Impulsivity; Alexithymia; Pupil