Description

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) consists of 28 questions distributed across four subscales. Perspective Taking measures the individual’s ability to adopt other people’s points of view and understand their perspective. Fantasy assesses the tendency of the individual to imaginatively transpose themselves into situations experienced by characters in books, films, and other media. Empathic Concern measures the tendency to feel compassion and care for others who are in distress. Personal Distress evaluates the individual’s tendency to feel anxiety and discomfort when witnessing others in negative situations.

Each question is rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (not at all like me) to 4 (very much like me).

Analysis

The analysis of the IRI results includes the scoring of subscales. The responses for each subscale are summed to provide four separate scores, one for each dimension of empathy. Comparative analysis can be conducted by comparing scores with norms or with scores of other individuals to assess empathy relative to the general population.

Purpose

The main purposes of the IRI are to assess empathy by providing a detailed evaluation of empathic ability in different situations and relationships; to understand individual differences by identifying variations in empathy among individuals, which may influence their interpersonal relationships and professional interactions; and to support research by being used in studies aimed at understanding the psychological mechanisms that affect empathy and related behaviors.

Calibration

Calibration of the IRI includes reliability and validity assessment using statistical methods to evaluate the reliability of each subscale and the validity of the overall measurements. Norming is conducted to establish standardized scoring benchmarks for different populations, allowing for the comparison of individual results to general population standards.

References

Davis, M. H. (1983). Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(1), 113–126.
Konrath, S. H., O’Brien, E. H., & Hsing, C. (2011). Changes in dispositional empathy in American college students over time: A meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15(2), 180–198.
Cliffordson, C. (2001). Parents’ judgments and students’ self-judgments of empathy: The structure of empathy and agreement of judgments based on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 17(1), 36–47.