The Mediator Role of Empathy and Emotional Intelligence in the Relationship between Alexithymia and Emotional Expression Styles

Year 2024, , 93 - 114, 31.01.2024

Yavuz Yılmaz , Ayla Uzun Cicek , Mehmet Kanak , Erdi Bahadır , Esra Gültürk

https://doi.org/10.31682/ayna.1255194

Abstract

Although there are studies on the effect of alexithymia on expressed emotion, emotion expression in people with alexithymia was not specifically examined. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between alexithymia and emotional expression styles and whether emotional intelligence and empathy mediate this relationship. A total of 254 teacher candidates were evaluated using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Empathy Quotient Scale, Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, and Emotional Expression Styles Inventory. We performed the analyses using structural equation models. Our results revealed that alexithymia indirectly affected the expression style of happiness and sadness emotions negatively and emotional intelligence and empathy played a mediator role in this effect of alexithymia. Also, an indirect positive relationship was identified between alexithymia and anger expression style, and it was found that this relationship was mediated by emotional intelligence. Accordingly, emotional expression styles were also related to other variables. The present study also determined that alexithymia level was significantly and negatively correlated with emotional intelligence and empathy levels. This is the first study to reveal that alexithymia is related to emotional expression styles and that emotional intelligence and empathy also have mediator roles in emotional expression styles. expression styles were also related to other variables.

Keywords

Alexithymia, emotion expression styles, emotional intelligence, empathy

Aleksitimi ve Duygusal İfade Tarzları Arasındaki İlişkide Empati ve Duygusal Zekanın Aracı Rolü

Abstract

Aleksitiminin duygu ifade etme üzerindeki etkisine yönelik çalışmalar olmasına rağmen, aleksitimisi olan bireylerde duygu ifade biçimleri özel olarak incelenmemiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, aleksitimi ile duygu ifade biçimleri arasındaki ilişkiyi ve duygusal zeka ile empatinin bu ilişkiye aracılık edip etmediğini incelemektir. Toronto Aleksitimi Ölçeği, Empati Bölüm Ölçeği, Özellikli Duygusal Zeka Ölçeği ve Duygusal İfade Tarzları Envanteri kullanılarak toplam 254 öğretmen adayı değerlendirilmiştir. Analizler, yapısal eşitlik modelleri kullanarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulgularımız, aleksitiminin mutluluk ve üzüntü duygularının ifade biçimini dolaylı olarak olumsuz etkilediğini ve aleksitiminin bu etkisinde duygusal zeka ve empatinin aracı rol oynadığını ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca aleksitimi ile öfke ifade tarzı arasında dolaylı pozitif bir ilişki tespit edilmiş ve bu ilişkiye duygusal zekanın aracılık ettiği bulunmuştur. Buna göre duygu ifade biçimleri, diğer değişkenlerle de ilişkilidir. Bu çalışmada ayrıca aleksitimi düzeyi ile duygusal zeka düzeyi ve empati düzeyi arasında anlamlı bir negatif ilişki olduğu saptanmıştır. Bu çalışma, aleksitiminin duygu ifade tarzları ile ilişkili olduğu ve duygusal zeka ve empatinin de duygusal ifade tarzlarında aracı rolü olduğunu ortaya koyan ilk çalışmadır.

Keywords

Aleksitimi, duygu ifade tarzları, duygusal zeka, empati

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