Scale Analysis

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI-28) was developed by Davis between 1980 and 1983, resulting in the refined version consisting of 28 items. The scale has been translated into Greek by Tsitsa and Malikiotis-Loizou (2012).

Purpose

The purpose of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index is to measure the four dimensions of empathy—two cognitive and two emotional. These four dimensions are:

Empathic Concern

Perspective Taking

Fantasy Empathy

Personal Distress

Question Scoring

The IRI-28 consists of 28 questions answered on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (does not describe me at all) to 4 (describes me very well). Each of the four empathy dimensions is represented by 7 items.

Statistical Analysis

Participants are asked to rate how well each statement describes them on a 0–4 Likert scale. The average completion time for the questionnaire is estimated at 10 minutes. A total score must be calculated, as empathy includes both cognitive and emotional components, which should be measured independently to understand their behavioral effects. Including the Personal Distress dimension in the total empathy score may distort the results by lowering the overall score. Based on the total score, results are classified into one of three empathy levels: Low Empathy, Moderate Empathy, and High Empathy.

Validity and Reliability

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index is one of the most widely used empathy scales globally, especially in healthcare settings. Its construct validity is considered strong and reliable (Davis, 1980). According to Konrath et al. (2013), internal consistency is adequate, with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.70 to 0.78.

References

Davis, M.
De Corte, K., Buysse, A., Verhofstadt, L. L., Roeyers, H., Ponnet, K., & Davis, M. H. (2007). Measuring empathic tendencies: Reliability and validity of the Dutch version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Psychologica Belgica, 47(4), 235–260.

If you’d like, I can help format this into a questionnaire form or create a scoring and interpretation sheet.