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Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) Test

Understand how well you identify and describe your emotions in about 5 minutes. A 24 item check of positive and negative feelings that supports clearer communication and better treatment planning.
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Questions: 245 minutes
Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.
08:30
October 2, 2025
October 2, 2025
Material has been updated
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Scale Explorer
How the Scales are Structured
example score
129/168
Overall Alexithymia (OA)
Measures overall difficulty identifying, evaluating, and expressing both negative and positive emotions.
Lower alexithymia
Moderate alexithymia
Higher alexithymia
24 – 71: Lower alexithymia | 72 – 119: Moderate alexithymia | 120 – 168: Higher alexithymia
A score of 129 falls in the Higher alexithymia range, indicating pronounced difficulty attending to, making sense of, and putting words to emotional experiences.
example score
10/56
Negative-Difficulty Identifying Feelings (N-DIF) (NIF()
Measures how difficult it is to identify, understand, and distinguish your own negative emotions.
Low difficulty
Moderate difficulty
High difficulty
0 – 18: Low difficulty | 19 – 37: Moderate difficulty | 38 – 56: High difficulty
A score of 10 suggests low difficulty identifying and differentiating negative feelings, with generally clear awareness of negative emotional states.
example score
30/56
Positive Difficulty Identifying Feelings (P-DIF) (PDIF()
Measures how difficult it is to identify, understand, and differentiate your own positive emotions.
Low difficulty
Moderate difficulty
High difficulty
0 – 18: Low difficulty | 19 – 37: Moderate difficulty | 38 – 56: High difficulty
A score of 30 indicates a moderate level of difficulty recognizing and clearly distinguishing positive feelings.
example score
28/56
Negative-Difficulty Describing Feelings (N-DDF) (NDF()
Measures difficulty describing and verbally expressing one’s own negative emotions.
Low difficulty
Moderate difficulty
High difficulty
0 – 18: Low difficulty | 19 – 37: Moderate difficulty | 38 – 56: High difficulty
A score of 28 falls in the Moderate difficulty range, suggesting some challenges putting negative feelings into words while still being able to describe them at times.
example score
28/56
Positive Difficulty Describing Feelings (P-DDF) (PDDF()
Measures how difficult it is for a person to describe and communicate their own positive emotions in words.
Low difficulty
Moderate difficulty
High difficulty
0 – 18: Low difficulty | 19 – 37: Moderate difficulty | 38 – 56: High difficulty
A score of 28 indicates a moderate level of difficulty putting positive feelings into words and conveying them clearly.
example score
16/56
Externally Oriented Thinking (G-EOT) (EOT()
Measures the tendency to focus attention away from one’s own emotions and toward external events or practical details.
Low externally-oriented thinking
Moderate externally-oriented thinking
High externally-oriented thinking
8 – 23: Low externally-oriented thinking | 24 – 39: Moderate externally-oriented thinking | 40 – 56: High externally-oriented thinking
A score of 16 falls in the low range, suggesting you are relatively likely to notice and reflect on your emotions rather than consistently focusing outward.
example score
40/56
Difficulty Identifying Feelings (G-DIF) (DIF()
Measures how difficult it is to identify, understand, and differentiate your own emotions (both negative and positive).
Low
Moderate
High
0 – 18: Low | 19 – 37: Moderate | 38 – 56: High
A score of 40 falls in the High range, suggesting pronounced difficulty recognizing and distinguishing your feelings across positive and negative emotions.
example score
35/56
Difficulty Describing Feelings (G-DDF) (DDF()
Assesses how difficult it is to put one’s emotions into words, for both negative and positive feelings.
Low difficulty
Moderate difficulty
High difficulty
0 – 18: Low difficulty | 19 – 37: Moderate difficulty | 38 – 56: High difficulty
A score of 35 falls in the Moderate difficulty range, suggesting noticeable but not extreme challenges describing and expressing emotions in words.
example score
22/56
Negative Difficulty Appraising Feelings (N-DAF) (NDAF()
Measures how difficult it is to identify and describe your own negative emotions.
Low difficulty
Moderate difficulty
High difficulty
0 – 18: Low difficulty | 19 – 37: Moderate difficulty | 38 – 56: High difficulty
A score of 22 falls in the Moderate difficulty range, suggesting some challenges recognizing and putting negative feelings into words.
example score
49/56
Positive Difficulty Appraising Feelings (P-DAF) (PDAF()
Assesses how difficult it is to identify and describe one’s own positive emotions.
Low difficulty
Moderate difficulty
High difficulty
0 – 18: Low difficulty | 19 – 37: Moderate difficulty | 38 – 56: High difficulty
A score of 49 falls in the High difficulty range, suggesting notable challenges recognizing and putting positive feelings into words.
example score
52/112
Difficulty Appraising Feelings (G-DAF) (DAF()
Assesses overall difficulty identifying and describing both negative and positive feelings.
Low difficulty
Moderate difficulty
High difficulty
16 – 47: Low difficulty | 48 – 79: Moderate difficulty | 80 – 112: High difficulty
A score of 52 falls in the Moderate difficulty range, suggesting noticeable but not severe challenges recognizing and expressing feelings overall.
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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS
Who Usually Takes This Test?
People who feel emotionally stuck
41%OF USERS
They often sense something is wrong but struggle to name or explain what they feel, especially under stress.
Therapy and counseling clients
34%OF USERS
They take it to clarify patterns in identifying and describing emotions so treatment goals can be more targeted.
Students and research participants
25%OF USERS
They complete it as part of a study or screening to measure emotional awareness for both positive and negative feelings.
BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.
RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE
What You’ll See After You Finish the Test
Scale Results
— Explained Clearly
Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.
AI-Powered
Interpretation
A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.
Statistical
Comparison
See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.
Practical
Recommendations
Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.
AI-Detected
Insights
Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.
Discuss with
an AI Psychologist
Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.
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Used in 52+ countries
Benchmarking
See How You Compare
Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.
Overall Level of Alexithymia (OLoA)
Average
127.3
Normal range
108 — 146.6
min.
24
max.
168
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Identification of Negative Feelings (N-DIF) (IoNF()
Average
26.7
Normal range
17.7 — 35.7
min.
0
max.
56
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Identification of Positive Feelings (P-DIF) (IoPF()
Average
31.6
Normal range
24.1 — 39
min.
0
max.
56
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Description of Negative Feelings (N-DDF) (DoNF()
Average
23.8
Normal range
13.7 — 33.9
min.
0
max.
56
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Description of Positive Feelings (P-DDF) (DoPF()
Average
36.9
Normal range
29 — 44.8
min.
0
max.
56
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Externally-Oriented Thinking (G-EOT) (ET()
Average
37.5
Normal range
31.6 — 43.3
min.
8
max.
56
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Difficulties with Identification (G-DIF) (DwI()
Average
32.4
Normal range
23.4 — 41.5
min.
0
max.
56
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Difficulties with Description (G-DDF) (DwD()
Average
26
Normal range
15.5 — 36.4
min.
0
max.
56
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Assessment of Negative Feelings (N-DAF) (AoNF()
Average
33.1
Normal range
24.8 — 41.4
min.
0
max.
56
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Assessment of Positive Feelings (P-DAF) (AoPF()
Average
38.9
Normal range
31.7 — 46.1
min.
0
max.
56
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
Assessment of All Feelings (G-DAF) (AoAF()
Average
66
Normal range
48.5 — 83.4
min.
16
max.
112
majority
This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.
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Rated 4.8/5 by Our Customers
“Freudly really helped me discover parts of my personality I hadn’t noticed before. It strengthened the areas where I needed to grow and made me feel more grounded and confident in the parts that already worked well.”
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“I kept thinking there might be a small chance, but now I know for sure. The questions were easy to understand, and the whole process was straightforward.”
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Trusted by 22k+ Users Worldwide
CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this questionnaire measure?
It measures difficulties identifying and describing feelings and the level of emotional reactivity. It covers responses to both negative and positive emotions.
Who is this questionnaire intended for?
It is intended for adolescents and adults. It is used in clinical and research settings to assess emotional awareness.
How long does it take and how many items are included?
Completion typically takes about 5 minutes. The standard form includes 24 items.
How should items be answered?
Select the response option that best matches typical experiences rather than rare events. Answer all items using first impressions and avoid overthinking.
What is the short form used for?
The short form is used when a brief screening is needed. It provides a quick summary while retaining coverage of key emotional awareness features.
WHAT THE TEST MEASURES
About This Assessment
Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire, PAQ Test

Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) Test

alexithymiaautism

This measure assesses individual differences in alexithymia, including difficulties identifying and describing one’s own emotions across positive and negative affect. The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) is a self-report instrument developed by James N. D. Parker, David Preece, and Graeme J. Taylor.

The instrument contains 24 items and typically requires about 5 minutes to complete. It is intended for use in clinical and research settings to support screening and characterization of emotion awareness and expression; results are generally interpreted in conjunction with other assessment data and clinical judgment.

The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) yields information relevant to key components of alexithymia, such as difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and related features of emotional processing.

Author: David Preece, Graeme J. Taylor, James N. D. Parker
Literature: Taylor, G. J., Bagby, R. M., & Parker, J. D. A. Disorders of affect regulation: Alexithymia in medical and psychiatric illness. Cambridge University Press. 1997.; Preece, D., Becerra, R., Robinson, K., Dandy, J., & Allan, A. The psychometric assessment of alexithymia: Development and validation of the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire. Personality and Individual Differences. 2018.; Bagby, R. M., Parker, J. D. A., & Taylor, G. J. The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale—I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 1994.; Preece, D., Mehta, A., Petrova, K., Sikka, P., Bjureberg, J., Chen, W., Becerra, R., Allan, A., Robinson, K., & Gross, J. J. The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire-Short Form (PAQ-S): A 6-item measure of alexithymia. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2023.
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