Alexithymia and academic success: examining the transition from high school to university

The present study used the major life transition of going off to university as the context for examining the relationship between alexithymia and academic achievement. During the first month of post-secondary classes 707 first-year full-time students completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). At the end of the academic year alexithymia data was matched with students’ academic records. Consistent with previous research on personality and achievement, results were dependent on how academic achievement and alexithymia was operationalized. When alexithymia variables were compared in groups who had achieved very different levels of academic achievement, success was moderately associated with alexithymia. Results are discussed in the context of the importance of affect regulation abilities during a stressful life transition.