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Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire

Understand how you identify and describe your emotions.

How do you perceive and experience your emotions?

The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) is a validated self-report measure developed by researchers David A. Preece, Rodrigo Becerra, Ken Robinson, Justine Dandy, and Alfred Allan at Perth universities including the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Edith Cowan University to assess alexithymia—a trait involving difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and externally oriented thinking. The PAQ uniquely assesses these difficulties across both negative and positive emotions.
Note: This survey is not a diagnostic tool. It is part of a research study exploring the relationship between emotional awareness and imagery experiences, including aphantasia.
Instructions: Please select a rating from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 7 (Strongly agree) that best describes how much you agree or disagree that the statement is true of you.
Note about emotions:
  • Bad or unpleasant emotions means emotions like sadness, anger, or fear.
  • Good or pleasant emotions means emotions like happiness, amusement, or excitement.
When I’m feeling bad (feeling an unpleasant emotion), I can’t find the right words to describe those feelings.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling bad, I can’t tell whether I’m sad, angry, or scared.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
I tend to ignore how I feel.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling good (feeling a pleasant emotion), I can’t find the right words to describe those feelings.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling good, I can’t tell whether I’m happy, excited, or amused.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
I prefer to just let my feelings happen in the background, rather than focus on them.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling bad, I can’t talk about those feelings in much depth or detail.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling bad, I can’t make sense of those feelings.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
I don’t pay attention to my emotions.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling good, I can’t talk about those feelings in much depth or detail.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling good, I can’t make sense of those feelings.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
Usually, I try to avoid thinking about what I’m feeling.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When something bad happens, it’s hard for me to put into words how I’m feeling.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling bad, I get confused about what emotion it is.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
I prefer to focus on things I can actually see or touch, rather than my emotions.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When something good happens, it’s hard for me to put into words how I’m feeling.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling good, I get confused about what emotion it is.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
I don’t try to be ‘in touch’ with my emotions.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling bad, if I try to describe how I’m feeling I don’t know what to say.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling bad, I’m puzzled by those feelings.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
It’s not important for me to know what I’m feeling.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling good, if I try to describe how I’m feeling I don’t know what to say.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
When I’m feeling good, I’m puzzled by those feelings.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
It’s strange for me to think about my emotions.
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree

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