Before revision: The psychoanalytic model defines alexithymia as having four components: difficulty identifying feelings (DIF) difficulty describing feelings to other people (DDF) a stimulus-bound, externally oriented thinking style (EOT) constricted imaginal processes (IMP) characterized by infrequent daydreaming In empirical research, it is often observed that constricted imaginal processes, defined as a lack of spontaneous imagining (daydreaming; compare aphantasia), when measured, do not statistically correlate with the other components of alexithymia , thus supporting the cognitive behavioral model over the psychoanalytic model .
After revision: The psychoanalytic model defines alexithymia as having four components: difficulty identifying feelings (DIF) difficulty describing feelings to other people (DDF) a stimulus-bound, externally oriented thinking style (EOT) constricted imaginal processes (IMP) characterized by infrequent daydreaming In empirical research, it is often observed that constricted imaginal processes, defined as a lack of spontaneous imagining (daydreaming; compare aphantasia), when measured, do not statistically correlate with the other components of alexithymia .