Empathy Quotient

What it measures

Measures empathising ability in adults, originally developed in the context of autism spectrum conditions research. The EQ is particularly sensitive for detecting reduced empathy in ASD and related conditions while also capturing normal variation in the general population. Complementary to the Systemising Quotient (SQ).

Response format

Likert (0–2, strongly disagree/slightly disagree=0 or 1, strongly agree/slightly agree=1 or 2); total 0–80

Representative items

• I can easily tell if someone else wants to enter a conversation.
• I find it easy to put myself in somebody else's shoes.
• I find it difficult to judge if something is rude or polite. (R)
• I find it hard to know what to do in a social situation. (R)
• I can tune in to how someone else feels rapidly and intuitively.

Usage notes & scoring

(R)=reverse-scored (filler items). Empathy score range 0–80; lower scores in ASD. Clinical cut-offs: typical adults score ~42–47; ASD groups typically score ~20. Freely available from Simon Baron-Cohen's Autism Research Centre. Pairs with the Systemising Quotient (SQ) and AQ (Autism Quotient) for comprehensive ASD profiling.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Baron-Cohen, S., & Wheelwright, S. (2004). The Empathy Quotient: An investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high functioning autism, and normal sex differences. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(2), 163–175.

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