Introduction
The Empathy Quotient asks about understanding other people and responding to their experiences. Its 60 statements include social situations, conversational cues and reactions to others' feelings.
Recognising what someone feels and sharing an emotional response are related but distinct. A person may understand a situation accurately while expressing care quietly, or feel strongly without knowing what another person needs. Examples help make broad statements about empathy more concrete.
The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire places more emphasis on emotional responsiveness in a shorter form. AQ examines a broader range of traits. An empathy questionnaire describes reported tendencies; it is not a measure of kindness or a verdict about someone's relationships.
Instructions
Below is a list of statements. Please read each statement carefully and rate how strongly you agree or disagree with it by selecting the circle under your answer. There are no right or wrong answers, or trick questions.
Scoring and result metrics
The result page reports a local screening score for this questionnaire. Use the score range, any subscale scores, and the interpretation band together rather than treating one number as a diagnosis.
- Score range
- 0-80
- Items scored
- 60
- Result indicators
- Total score / Interpretation band when available
Score interpretation bands
- 0-30Lower empathy range
Scores of 30 or less indicate a lack of empathy common in people with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome.
- 31-80Higher empathy range
Scores above 30 are generally not indicative of an Autism Spectrum disorder.
Interpretation bands summarize screening thresholds from the questionnaire source material. Higher scores usually indicate more of the measured concern unless the tool notes a different scoring rule.
Tool information
- Version
- 60 questions
- Administration
- Self-report
- Intended audience
- Adults exploring self-reported empathy, social understanding, and responses to other people's feelings
Sources
- Simon Baron-Cohen, Sally Wheelwright. The empathy quotient: an investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high functioning autism, and normal sex differences. 34(2): J Autism Dev Disord 163-75 (2004).
- VL Ruggieri. Empathy, Social Cognition And Autism Spectrum Disorders. 56 Suppl 1: Rev Neurol 13-21. 2013.
- E Sucksmith, C Allison, S Baron-Cohen, B Chakrabarti, RA Hoekstra. Empathy and emotion recognition in people with autism, first-degree relatives, and controls. 51(1): Neuropsychologia 98-105 (2012).
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