Psychometrics and Assessment of an Empathy Distance Gradient

Abstract

Research has indicated declining empathy within specific professions and social structures. Few psychometric instruments have addressed empathy within the context of psychological distance/relatedness to other individuals and even to other species, relationships that can be important contributors to psychological well-being and health. We developed and tested the Empathy Gradient Questionnaire (EGQ), which contains five subscales (i.e., Family, Friend, Peer, Distant Other, and Species Empathy) representing increasing psycho-spatial distances. We used LISREL to factor validate the five-factor structure of the EGQ, and we evaluated levels of empathy among a sample of n = 161 individuals, aged 18 to 60+. The EGQ was shown to have high subscale (0.80-0.89) and overall internal consistencies (0.94). The factor pattern and structural equation models showed five latent factors explaining 69.8% of variance for all variables (goodness-of-fit index [GFI] = 0.98, adjusted goodness-of-fit index [AGFI] = 0.98, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = 0.06, comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.92). There were no significant effects for age, gender, or race on overall empathy or for each of the five subscales. A decreasing gradient was noted for Friend to Species Empathies.