Table 4. The ECQ in the current study including both refined items compared to their original wording and two new items.
| Original Questions | Refined Questions |
|---|---|
| Factor One: Affective Reactivity | |
| It affects me very much when one of my friends is upset (IVE) | When someone seems upset, I am usually uninterested and unaffected by their emotions. (-) |
| I get very upset when I see someone cry (IVE) | When someone is crying, I tend to become very upset myself. (+) |
| I am happy when I am with a cheerful group and sad when others are glum (IVE) | I am not always interested in sharing others’ happiness. (-) |
| The people I am with have a strong influence on my mood (IVE) | Others’ emotions do not motivate my mood. (-) |
| It worries me when others are worrying and panicky (IVE) | I tend to panic when I see others who are panicked. (+) |
| I tend to get emotionally involved with a friend’s problems (EQ) | I avoid getting emotionally involved with a friend’s problems. (-) |
| Sometimes I don’t feel sorry for other people when they are having problems (IRI) | I feel pity for people I see being bullied. (+) |
| I care what happens to other people. (EQ-i empathy subscale) | I like to know what happens to others. (+) |
| Factor Two: Cognitive Drive | |
| I try to look at everybody’s side of a disagreement before I make a decision (IRI) | I enjoy debates because I like to take different perspectives. (+) |
| I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective (IRI) | I like trying to understand what might be going through my friends’ minds. (+) |
| Before criticizing someone, I try to imagine how I would feel if I were in their place (IRI) | I strive to see how it would feel to be in someone else’s situation before criticizing them. (+) |
| I can usually appreciate the other person’s viewpoint, even if I do not agreewith it (EQ) | I take an interest in looking at both sides to every argument. (+) |
| When I’m upset with someone, I usually try to ‘put myself in his shoes’ for a while (IRI) | I am uninterested in putting myself in another’s shoes if I am upset with them. (-) |
| NEW ITEM: When talking with others, I am not very interested in what they might be thinking. (-) | |
| Factor Three: Affective Ability | |
| Other people tell me I am good at understanding how they are feeling and what they are thinking (EQ) | I am not very good at helping others deal with their feelings. (-) |
| Friends usually talk to me about their problems as they say that I am very understanding (EQ) | My friends often tell me intimate things about themselves as I am very helpful. (+) |
| I can tune into how someone feels rapidly and intuitively (EQ) | I don’t intuitively tune into how others feel. (-) |
| I’m sensitive to the feelings of others (EQ-i empathy subscale) | I am poor at sharing emotions with others. (-) |
| NEW ITEM: I am good at responding to other people's feelings. (+) | |
| Factor Four: Affective Drive | |
| I avoid hurting other people’s feelings (EQ-i empathy subscale) | I am not interested in protecting others, even if I know they are being lied to. (-) |
| I always try to consider the other fellows’ feelings before I do something (HES) | When I do things, I like to take others’ feelings into account. (+) |
| Before I do something, I try to consider how my friends will react (HES) | I avoid thinking how my friends will respond before I do something (-) |
| I really enjoy caring for other people (EQ) | I have a desire to help other people (+) |
| Factor Five: Cognitive Ability | |
| I am good at predicting what someone will do (EQ) | I’m not very good at predicting what other people will do. (-) |
| I can easily work out what another person might want to talk about (EQ) | During a conversation, I’m not very good at figuring out what others might want to talk about (-) |
| I can pick up quickly if someone says one thing but means another (EQ) | I am usually successful in judging if someone says one thing but means another (+) |
| I find it easy to ‘put myself in somebody else’s shoes’(EQ) | I am not very good at ‘putting myself in others’ shoes’ (-) |
| I can sense if I am intruding, even if the other person does not tell me (EQ) | I am good at sensing whether or not I am interrupting a conversation (+) |
| I am quick to spot when someone in a group is feeling awkward or uncomfortable(EQ) | I do well at noticing when one of my friends is uncomfortable (+) |
| I can tell if someone is masking their true emotion (EQ) | I am not very good at noticing if someone is hiding their emotions (-) |
+ Refer to positively worded questions,
- Refer to negatively worded questions
Note: Abbreviations in brackets refer to original empathy measures the items were originally taken in developing the ECQ; EQ = Empathy Quotient; IRI = Interpersonal Reactivity Index; IVE = Impulsiveness-Venturesome-Empathy Inventory; EQ-i = Emotional Quotient Inventory; HES = Hogan Empathy Scale