MOTHERS LOW CARE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALEXITHYMIA - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY IN JAPANESE COLLEGE-STUDENTS

We examined the influences of perceived parental bonding on scores on alexithymia in a sample of 232 college students. Ratings on mothers' c are, a scale of the Parental Bonding Inventory were: significantly and negatively correlated with scores on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, a nd also with ratings on Difficulty Describing Feelings but not Difficu lty Identifying Feelings and Externally Oriented Thinking. These resul ts were replicated in another sample of 156 college students. Although our findings were based on simple correlations, they suggest that per ceived mothers' low care is related to adults' scores on alexithymia, in particular, the construct, Difficulty Describing Feelings.