Objective:

To identify the effect of socio-emotional words (insults, praise, and neutral words) on the perception of people with high and low levels of alexithymia using an emotional Stroop test.

Method:

Participants were 44 undergraduate students. Two groups were formed based on the TAS-20 scale: one group with high GA scores (>61) and the other with low GB scores (<28). The emotional Stroop test was used to assess the perception of socio-emotional stimuli presented in blocks by category. Scores on clinical depression, anxiety, and social phobia scores were recorded.

Results:

Reaction times to socio-emotional words were longer in the GA group than those in the GB group. Scores on clinical measures were higher in the GA group than in the GB group.

Conclusions:

The results suggest an attentional bias associated with a deficiency in emotional regulation(top-down) when people with alexithymia are presented with socio-emotional words. In addition, scores on the clinical measures suggest an association between alexithymia and clinical symptoms.