Alexithymia - and frequency of social interaction

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Behav Res Ther. 2019 Sep 10;123:103477

Authors: Gerber AH, Girard JM, Scott SB, Lerner MD

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: While much is known about the quality of social behavior among neurotypical individuals and those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), little work has evaluated quantity of social interactions. This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to quantify in vivo daily patterns of social interaction in adults as a function of demographic and clinical factors.
METHOD: Adults with and without ASD (NASD = 23, NNeurotypical = 52) were trained in an EMA protocol to report their social interactions via smartphone over one week. Participants completed measures of IQ, ASD symptom severity and alexithymia symptom severity.
RESULTS: Cyclical multilevel models were used to account for nesting of observations. Results suggest a daily cyclical pattern of social interaction that was robust to ASD and alexithymia symptoms. Adults with ASD did not have fewer social interactions than neurotypical peers; however, severity of alexithymia symptoms predicted fewer social interactions regardless of ASD status.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that alexithymia, not ASD severity, may drive social isolation and highlight the need to reevaluate previously accepted notions regarding differences in social behavior utilizing modern methods.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/316 ... t=Abstract

Is there a way that you could translate this into your own words? Sum it up for us in plain English?

And while you're doing it could you please tell us what "alexithymia" is?

I don't have alexithymia.

FireMonkey, very interesting abstract. I think their conclusion may be premature or rather incomplete. From what I understand, not all people with ASD have alexithymia, just as NTs can also have alexithymia. A lot of people on the spectrum like isolation, but lots like to have interactions but are not necessarily good at it, or like a controlled form of interaction with a few select people. The quality of the interaction may vary depending on who they are interacting with.

My hypothesis would be that alexithymia affects the quality of interaction but that it is not necessarily the driving force for seeking isolation in ASD. It is a component of it, that can make the interaction even less effective in addition to the social deficits naturally associated with ASD. Wouldn’t you agree?

My fluctuating degrees of alexithymia...
Is independent from my fluctuating degrees of social drive and frequency of human interactions.


There are times I became highly alexithymic, became very social and interactive.
There are also times I became empathic, and became very asocial and isolated.
And there are times it's the usual other ways around.

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GoldenMom , I'm unsure whether it was a sufficient sample to definitively say they are on the right track . You make some good points.

I have always been someone who has not been very proactive in socially interacting with other people . I get a high alexithymia score on an online test. I'm not sure that is the reason for my not being very proactive though when it comes to social interaction .