Reducing Alexithymic Traits Using an Ideal Attachment Style Approach; A Correlational Study

Abstract

Recent studies underlie the relationship between subgroups of attachment styles and a different component of the alexithymic trait, based on attachment style, we can identify how a person regulation their emotions, copes with stressful environments, and expresses emotion appropriately. This research aimed to explore the relationship between subgroups of attachment style and alexithymic trait and examine attachment styles as a predictor variable of the alexithymic trait. The participants were 144 different adult samples from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. All participants completed the Perth alexithymia questionnaire(PAQ) with 24 items and three components measure: difficulty identifying one’s feelings (DIF); difficulty describing feelings (DDF) and an externally oriented thinking style (EOT); Attachment Style Questionnaire, which has 27 items to measure attachment types which measure ambivalent, avoidant and secure attachment style. Here we wanted to observe how different attachment styles lead to the alexithymic trait and how these subgroups correlate. The result found that secure attachment is moderately negatively correlated with the alexithymic trait, on the other hand, ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles are highly significant and positively correlated with alexithymic traits. This result will help to identify how attachment style correlated to alexithymic traits.