THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS AND DISPOSITIONAL MINDFULNESS AS PREDICTORS OF ALEXITHYMIA IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

摘要

Objective: The aim of this research was to measure the relationship between the Big Five personality traits, dispositional mindfulness and alexithymia, and to investigate personality traits and dispositional mindfulness as predictorsof alexithymia in a group of college students.Method: In the present study, 150 college students at Tabriz University, aged between 18 and 26, were selected by convenient sampling method. NEO – Five Factor Inventory (NEO – FFI), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS – 20), and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI-SF) were used for data collection. Results: The results showed that alexithymia was positively associated with neuroticism, and negatively associated with conscientiousness and openness to experiences. Neuroticism is the strongest predictor of alexithymia. After controlling for the effects of baseline characteristics and the Big Five personality traits, mindfulness did not remain a significant predictor of alexithymia. Conclusions: These results suggest that neuroticism, openness to experiences and conscientiousness have an essential role in alexithymia.