Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41532291›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of psychology2026

The Externally Oriented Thinking Facet of Alexithymia Mediates the Negative Association of ASD Symptoms With Cognitive and Emotional Empathy.

Michael Lyvers, Barbara Bittencourt Dallago, Sara Montague, Fred Arne Thorberg

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Michael LyversSchool of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8355-3182
Barbara Bittencourt DallagoSchool of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Sara MontagueSchool of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Fred Arne ThorbergSchool of Psychology, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Funding

Bond University BD39
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Empathy deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be attributable to alexithymia, which is common in ASD. Alexithymia is defined by deficient emotional self-awareness and an overly concrete or externally oriented cognitive style. The present study examined this hypothesis, with a focus on the externally oriented thinking (EOT) facet of alexithymia which was previously found to be uniquely associated with deficits in facial recognition of emotions and empathy. There were 331 participants (104 males, 227 females) aged 18-30 years (M = 25.93 years) recruited online. They completed the Autism Quotient (AQ), Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 (TAS-20), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) indices of emotional and cognitive empathy, and demographic questions. Hierarchical regressions followed by path analyses indicated mediation of the negative relationships of ASD scores with emotional and cognitive empathy by EOT. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Indexed as

Affective SymptomsAutism Spectrum DisorderCognitionEmotionsEmpathyThinkingAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleYoung Adultalexithymiaautism spectrum disordercognitionemotionempathy

Identifiers

PMID41532291
PMCPMC13159508

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.