Basic Empathy Scale
The Basic Empathy Scale is a 20-item measure of basic empathy, assessing four emotions: fear, sadness, anger, and happiness.
Categories
Geographies Tested: United Kingdom
Populations Included: Female, Male
Age Range: Adults
Items:
- My friend’s emotions don’t affect me much
- After being with a friend who is sad about something, I usually feel sad
- I can understand my friend’s happiness when shehe does well at something
- I get frightened when I watch characters in a good scary movie
- I get caught up in other feelings easily
- I find it hard to know when my friends are frightened
- I don’t become sad when I see other people crying
- Other people’s feelings don’t bother me at all
- When someone is feeling down I can usually understand how they feel
- I can usually work out when my friends are scared
- I often become sad when watching sad things on TV or in films
- I can often understand how people are feeling even before they tell me
- Seeing a person who has been angered has no effect on my feelings
- I can usually work out when people are cheerful
- I tend to feel scared when I am with friends who are afraid
- I can usually realize quickly when a friend is angry
- I often get swept up in my friend’s feelings
- My friend’s unhappiness doesn’t make me feel anything
- I am not usually aware of my friend’s feelings
- I have trouble figuring out when my friends are happy
Response Options:
A five-point response scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree)
Scoring Procedures
Not Available
Original Citation
Jolliffe, D., & Farrington, D. P. (2006). Development and validation of the Basic Empathy Scale. Journal of adolescence, 29(4), 589-611.