ANHEDONIA AND ALEXITHYMIA - DISTINCT OR OVERLAPPING CONSTRUCTS

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.