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Alexithymia can be defined as inability to identify and describe emotions in the self. Has shown to be related to several psychological and pathological processes that can result in unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships and decreased social adjustment. Advances in research of alexithymia require the development and validation of assessment instruments, and its application to different population. With this aim, we studied the psychometric properties of the Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in Chilean population using various modeling procedures (e.g., CFA, ESEM) in different structures (i.e., Correlated, Unidimensional, Hierarchical or Wording factors). Among the 10 models tested, the four-dimensional structure offered the best fit but with item-loading problems in the last factor (Pragmatic Thinking). We suggest that the studied version of the scale needs improvement (theoretical and empirical) to ensure optimal indices of validation for Chilean population.

(Rev Med Chile 2014; 142: 716-722)

Este artículo presenta la construcción y validación preliminar de una escala diseñada para niños y niñas, cuyo objetivo es medir creencias que legitiman la violencia en las relaciones interpersonales. El proceso incluyó su aplicación a 608 niños de 12 colegios de Coquimbo y a 20 niños víctimas de violencia. El instrumento muestra adecuados niveles de confiabilidad y evidencia un constructo multidimensional, compuesto por distintas formas de legitimación de la violencia. Los resultados permiten vincular estas creencias a contextos relacionales violentos y sugieren su asociación con las variables: cultura escolar y socialización de género. El instrumento se plantea como una herramienta para el estudio de los mecanismos que obstaculizan la erradicación de la violencia en nuestras comunidades. Palabras Clave: creencias, legitimación, violencia.This article presents the development of a scale, designed for children, which measures beliefs that legitimate interpersonal violence. The scale shows adequate reliability and shows evidence of a multidimensional construct, constituted by different ways to legitimize violence. Results suggest an association of this beliefs system with violent relational contexts, school culture and gender socialization. The scale is proposed as a tool for investigation of underlying mechanisms that perpetuate violence in our communities.

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