Table 1.

Self-report versus clinical interview: advantages and disadvantages

Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20)	Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA)
Self-report	Structured interview
Time required: 10–15 minutes	Time required: minimum 40 minutes
Quick to administer	More laborious to administer
Inexpensive	Training required to administer
Simple to score	Training required to score
Assume patient is aware of his/her deficit	Inquiry help clarifying the true nature of unclear responses
Assume subject’s motivation to reply sincerely	Presence of an external observer may provide a more valid assessment
Lack of a measure of imaginal processes	Assessment of fantasy activity
Limits due to respondent’s motivation and ability to reply sincerely	Accuracy depends on standardized administration and rating across different interviewers/raters