THE EMOTIONAL PATHWAY FROM PERSONALITY TRAITS TO ALEXITHYMIA: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMOTION REGULATION

Year 2025, Issue: 36, 823 - 845, 12.12.2025

Esra Köten

https://doi.org/10.56597/kausbed.1717162

Abstract

Although the various consequences of the Big Five personality traits are well documented, the pathway from these personality traits to alexithymia has not been sufficiently investigated. This study aims to examine the relationships among the Big Five personality traits, emotion regulation skills, and alexithymia, as well as the mediating effect of emotion regulation on the relationship between personality traits and alexithymia. The Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI), the Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire (ERSQ), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) self-report measures were administered to a non-clinical sample of 402 individuals aged 18 to 55 in Turkey. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 27 and Process Macro 4.2. Results revealed significant correlations between the Big Five personality traits, emotion regulation skills, and alexithymia. All personality traits are strong predictors of emotion regulation, with extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness showing positive predictive relationships regarding emotion regulation, while neuroticism exhibits a negative predictive relationship. Emotion regulation is a significant negative predictor of alexithymia. Each personality trait significantly predicts alexithymia; specifically, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness are negatively predictive, whereas neuroticism is positively predictive. Furthermore, emotion regulation mediated each of these relationships between the Big Five personality traits and alexithymia. These results significantly contribute to existing research by demonstrating the predictive effect of emotion regulation, along with personality traits, on alexithymia and identifying emotion regulation as a mediator.

Keywords

The Big Five personality traits , Alexithymia , Emotion regulation skills , Mediation analysis

KIŞILIK ÖZELLIKLERINDEN ALEKSITIMIYE UZANAN DUYGUSAL YOL: DUYGU DÜZENLEMENIN ARACI ROLÜ

Abstract

Beş büyük kişilik özelliğinin çeşitli sonuçları iyi bir şekilde belgelenmiş olsa da bu kişilik özelliklerinden aleksitimiye giden yol yeterince araştırılmamıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Beş Büyük kişilik özelliği, duygu düzenleme becerileri ve aleksitimi arasındaki ilişkileri ve duygu düzenlemenin kişilik özellikleri ve aleksitimi arasındaki ilişkideki aracı etkisini incelemektir. Beş Büyük Kişilik Envanteri (BFI), Duygu Düzenleme Becerileri Ölçeği (ERSQ) ve Toronto Aleksitimi Ölçeği (TAS-20) öz bildirim araçları, Türkiye'de 18-55 yaş arası 402 kişilik klinik olmayan bir örnekleme uygulanmıştır. Veri analizi IBM SPSS 27 ve Process Macro 4.2 kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sonuçlar, Büyük Beşli kişilik özellikleri, duygu düzenleme becerileri ve aleksitimi arasında anlamlı korelasyonlar olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Tüm kişilik özellikleri duygu düzenlemenin güçlü yordayıcılarıdır; dışadönüklük, uyumluluk, sorumluluk ve deneyime açıklık duygu düzenleme ile ilgili pozitif yordayıcı ilişkiler gösterirken, nevrotizm negatif bir yordayıcı ilişki sergilemektedir. Duygu düzenleme, aleksitiminin anlamlı bir negatif yordayıcısıdır. Her bir kişilik özelliği aleksitimiyi anlamlı şekilde yordamaktadır; özellikle dışadönüklük, uyumluluk, sorumluluk ve deneyime açıklık negatif yordayıcı iken nevrotizm pozitif yordayıcıdır. Ayrıca, duygu düzenleme, Büyük Beşli kişilik özellikleri ve aleksitimi arasındaki bu ilişkilerin her birine aracılık etmiştir. Bu sonuçlar, kişilik özelliklerinin yanı sıra duygu düzenlemenin aleksitimi üzerindeki yordayıcı etkisini göstererek ve duygu düzenlemeyi bir aracı olarak tanımlayarak mevcut araştırmalara önemli ölçüde katkıda bulunmaktadır.

Keywords

Beş büyük kişilik özelliği , Aleksitimi , Duygu düzenleme becerileri , Aracılık analizi

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