Description of the Questionnaire

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) by M. H. Davis is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure an individual’s general capacity for empathy. Empathy is considered a multifaceted concept, and the scale includes four distinct subdimensions: Perspective Taking (a cognitive dimension), Fantasy (emotional identification with fictional characters), Empathic Concern (emotional response to others), and Personal Distress (self-oriented discomfort in response to others’ distress). The questionnaire consists of 28 items, evenly distributed among the four subscales (7 items per subscale).

Data Analysis and Use

The Greek version of the IRI was adapted by G. Totsas, M. Theodosopoulou, and M. Mallikiossi-Loizou and was administered to a sample of 600 university students, including 250 from the University of Athens and 350 from Aristotle University. The average age of the students was approximately 22 years. The psychometric evaluation of the Greek version showed satisfactory internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.71 to 0.77, and test-retest reliability ranging from 0.62 to 0.71. The questionnaire data can be used in social and developmental sciences, for assessing empathy in special populations, and for the design and evaluation of psychological and educational interventions.

Purpose

The scale measures empathy, namely the ability of a person to understand and share the feelings or experiences of another individual. Its four subdimensions allow for a multifaceted and detailed understanding of empathy.

Scoring

Each of the 28 questions is rated on a 5-point Likert scale, where 0 means “does not describe me well at all” and 4 means “describes me very well.” Each subscale score is the sum of its seven corresponding responses, resulting in a range from 0 to 28 per subscale. Higher scores in each subscale indicate a higher level of empathy in that specific dimension.

References

Davis, M. H. (1980). A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10(4), 85.
Mallikiossi-Loizou, M. (2003). A critical look at empathy. Psychologia, 10(2-3), 295-309.