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Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ-S)

Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ-S) Test

See how well you notice and put words to both positive and negative feelings in about 2 minutes. Six quick items deliver a clear snapshot for teens or adults, useful in counseling and research.

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Questions: 62 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

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

11,634 views

651 completion

484 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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How the Scales are Structured

example score

17/42

Alexithymia Scale (AS)

Measures difficulty identifying and describing one’s emotions, with higher scores reflecting greater challenges in emotional awareness and expression.

Lower difficulty

Moderate difficulty

Higher difficulty

6 – 17: Lower difficulty | 18 – 29: Moderate difficulty | 30 – 42: Higher difficulty

A score of 17 falls in the Lower difficulty range, suggesting relatively few problems recognizing and communicating emotions compared with higher scores.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People feeling emotionally numb

41%OF USERS

They often know something is wrong but struggle to identify or put words to what they feel, whether it’s stress, sadness, or joy.

Teens learning self-awareness

33%OF USERS

Adolescents take it to better understand confusing emotions and communicate their feelings more clearly with others.

Clients in counseling or therapy

26%OF USERS

They use it as a quick check-in to map difficulties recognizing and describing emotions and to guide next steps in support.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

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You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

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See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

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You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

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Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

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Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

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See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Alexithymia Scale (AS)

Average

15.3

Normal range

10.9 — 19.8

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It screens for difficulties identifying and describing feelings and for reduced attention to emotional reactions. It covers both negative and positive emotions.

Who is it intended for?

It is suitable for adolescents and adults. It is designed for self-report use in clinical, counseling, or research settings.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

Completion time is about 2 minutes. It includes 6 items.

How should items be answered?

Select the response option that best reflects typical experience rather than a single event. Answer all items using the same time frame implied by the instructions.

How should results be interpreted?

Higher scores suggest greater difficulty with emotional awareness and communication. Results support screening and treatment planning but do not confirm a diagnosis on their own.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ-S) Test - Symptoms and Signs

alexithymia autism

This brief self-report measure assesses alexithymia-related features, including difficulty identifying and describing feelings across emotional valence. The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ-S) is intended to support rapid screening of emotional awareness and expression in clinical or research settings.

The measure includes 6 items and typically takes about 2 minutes to complete. Response patterns may help characterize relative strengths and difficulties in noticing internal emotional states, labeling feelings, and communicating emotional experiences; results should be interpreted in context with other clinical information. The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ-S) was developed by James D. A. Parker, Graeme J. Taylor, and David Preece.

Author: David Preece, Graeme J. Taylor, James D. A. 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.; Parker, J. D. A., Taylor, G. J., & Bagby, R. M. The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: III. Reliability and factorial validity in a community population. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2003.; 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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