Abstract

FALCONE, Eliane Mary de Oliveira et al. Construction of a brazilian measure to evaluate empathy: the Empathy Inventory (E I). Aval. psicol. [online]. 2008, vol.7, n.3, pp.321-334. ISSN 1677-0471.

This study developed and analyzed psychometric characteristics of an Empathy Inventory (EI). Sixteen social situations were identified from the literature, and an initial scale with 74 Likert-type items was constructed to evaluate the cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects of empathy in these situations. Validity was assessed by the application of the initial version of the scale in 715 male and female undergraduate students from the Humanities, Biomedical, Social Sciences and Engineering departments. Factor analysis was calculated using the principal components method with oblique rotation, in which four representative factors of the internal structure of the instrument were identified: Perspective Taking, Interpersonal Flexibility, Altruism and Affective Sensibility, with Cronbach's Alphas ranging from .72 to .85. Based on this preliminary assessment of the psychometric proprieties of the instrument, it can be recommended for use in both research and clinical practice.

Keywords : Empathy; Psychological assessment; Self-report inventory; Psychological test.

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