The aim was to examine the relationship between alexithymia, anhedonia
, and capacity for displeasure in a group of 133 healthy subjects usin
g principal components analysis. A correlation matrix comprised of ite
ms from both the Communication and Identification scale of the 20-item
Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Physical Pleasure-Displeasure Scale
yielded a four-factor solution (one Communication-identification, two
Pleasure, and one Displeasure factor) with no overlap of the signific
ant factor loadings for the items from each scale. Moreover, there wer
e no positive significant correlations between the Communication and I
dentification Scales and the Physical Anhedonia Scale. Our findings su
pport the view that physical anhedonia is a construct distinct and sep
arate from alexithymia.