The Relationship Between Alexithymia and Criminal Aggression
A Chain Mediating Effect Through Loneliness and Anxiety
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11275583 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hejia Yu (China People's Public Security University), Meng Zhang (0000-0002-4822-2273, China People's Public Security University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-18 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-05 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Deviant Behavior (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0163-9625 • E-ISSN: 1521-0456 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/01639625.2026.2636204 |
| OpenAlex | W7134045574 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 90 |
Within prison settings, incarcerated individuals exhibit complex and specific psychological profiles. Statistical data indicate a prevalence rate of alexithymia exceeding 30% in this population. At the same time, various forms of aggressive behavior among inmates significantly impact on prison management and criminal rehabilitation. The purpose of our research is to explore the relationship between alexithymia and criminal aggression, and to examine the chain-mediated role of loneliness and anxiety in the influence of alexithymia on criminal aggression. A sample of 500 inmates from a prison in S Province, China, completed questionnaires including the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 (ULS), and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The results indicated that alexithymia, loneliness, anxiety, and criminal aggression were significantly positively correlated with each other(r = 0.376 ~ 0.575,p ≤ 0.01). Three significant mediation pathways were identified: (1) the independent mediating role of loneliness; (2) the independent mediating role of anxiety; and (3) the chain mediation pathway through loneliness and anxiety sequentially. The 95% confidence intervals for the multiple mediating effects were [0.004,0.151], [0.231,0.250], [0.053,0.150], The effect sizes were 7.732%, 32.035%, 9.250%. Results indicated that alexithymia is significantly positively correlated with criminal aggression; loneliness works as an independent mediator between alexithymia and criminal aggression; anxiety works as an independent mediator between alexithymia and criminal aggression; loneliness and anxiety work as chain mediators between alexithymia and criminal aggression.
Alexithymia · Anxiety · Chain (unit · Depression (economics · Loneliness · Personality Disorders and Psychopathology · Problem Solving Skills Development · Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
Coping with imprisonment
Toward the Development of a New Self-Report Alexithymia Scale
The general aggression model
A Rating Instrument For Anxiety Disorders
Severe mental illness in 33 588 prisoners worldwide
Loneliness and the onset of new mental health problems in the general population
Emotion, Emotion Regulation, and Psychopathology
On the Outside Looking In
The General Aggression Model
The Alexithymia Construct
Self-Control and Aggression
Common method biases in behavioral research
Human Aggression
Ucla Loneliness Scale (Version 3)
The relationship between Alexithymia and aggressive behavior
Loneliness in prison
The latent profiles of aggressive behavior in inmates and its relation with parental rearing styles and behavioral inhibition/activation
Cognitive-emotional processing in alexithymia
Theories of motivation
Psychoeducation Reduces Alexithymia and Modulates Anger Expression in a School Setting
How childhood maltreatment influences aggression in juvenile offenders
Interoception, alexithymia, and anxiety among individuals with alcohol use disorder
Adolescents’ Attachment to Parents and Reactive–Proactive Aggression
Prison Culture, Management, and In-Prison Violence
Examining the Bidirectional Nature of Loneliness and Anxiety Among Older Adults in Daily Life
Sedative Coping’, Contextual Maturity and Institutionalization Among Prisoners Serving Life Sentences in England and Wales
Negative Emotional Energy
Social exclusion and early-stage interpersonal perception
"Does social exclusion motivate interpersonal reconnection? Resolving the "porcupine problem
Threat-related attentional bias in anxious and nonanxious individuals
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |