Empathy test (Interpersonal Reactivity Index)
See what empathy means as a measured trait, how each part is scored, and how a result is read against the population that actually fits you.
The Interpersonal Reactivity Index is the most widely used self-report empathy measure. Published by Mark Davis in 1980, it treats empathy not as one thing but as four relatively independent tendencies - two cognitive, two affective - measured by twenty-eight statements that take about eight minutes to answer.
The model
What it measures
Select a subscale to see the everyday aspects it captures. The IRI deliberately separates empathy into four parts, and they are scored and interpreted separately - there is no single validated "total empathy" score, because the subscales are relatively independent of each other.
A useful grouping is cognitive empathy (Perspective Taking, and to a degree Fantasy) versus affective empathy (Empathic Concern, and the self-oriented Personal Distress). Higher Perspective Taking and Empathic Concern indicate stronger other-oriented empathy; Personal Distress is self-focused discomfort at others' suffering, so a high score there is not a sign of "more empathy".
The tendency to see things from another person's point of view (cognitive empathy).
- PTPerspective Taking
The tendency to see things from another person's point of view (cognitive empathy).
Facets: Seeing both sides, Imagining others' views, Suspending judgment, Considering others.
- FSFantasy
Getting imaginatively absorbed into the feelings of characters in stories and films.
Facets: Imaginative absorption, Identifying with characters, Vicarious involvement, Story immersion.
- ECEmpathic Concern
Warm, other-oriented feelings of sympathy and concern for people in difficulty (affective empathy).
Facets: Compassion, Tenderness, Sympathy, Soft-heartedness.
- PDPersonal Distress
Self-focused anxiety and unease in tense situations - not other-oriented empathy, so higher is not "better".
Facets: Unease under pressure, Emotional overwhelm, Self-focused distress, Loss of composure.
The evidence
Science and validity
The IRI's four-factor structure has been replicated across both sexes and many independent and cross-cultural samples. Internal consistency is solid - Cronbach's alpha is generally in the .70s to low .80s per subscale - and test-retest reliability over two months is acceptable. Perspective Taking and Empathic Concern relate positively to social functioning and prosocial behaviour; Personal Distress relates to anxiety and shyness and negatively to social competence, confirming the subscales measure distinct things.
You rate each of twenty-eight statements on a 5-point describes-me scale. Nine items are reverse-keyed, then each subscale is the sum or mean of its seven items. The four subscales are read separately - there is no single empathy total - and there are no pass/fail cut-offs; each result is norm-referenced. Women score modestly higher than men on all four subscales on average, so comparisons are best made within the population that fits you.
Where you stand
How a score becomes a percentile
A raw score only means something against a comparison group, and on the IRI each subscale is read on its own. For example, on a 1-5 item-mean an Empathic Concern score of 4.1 sits above the adult average (near 3.7), placing it around the 75th percentile - more other-oriented concern than roughly three in four adults - while a Personal Distress score is read in the opposite direction (lower is calmer). Drag the slider to see how a score on each subscale maps to a percentile; your real result is matched to the population that fits you when you take the test.
Your result, visualised across every dimension
Take the test once and see a full profile like this example, each dimension placed against the population most relevant to you, with plain-language interpretation.
See my full profile →Example profile shown for illustration.
The reference data
Benchmarked against the population that fits you
We benchmark your result against the population that actually resembles you, across 40 reference groups.
Each reference group is used as its own benchmark, not to rank one country against another.
How it works
What the questions feel like
Illustrative statements showing the style of the items. These are examples, not the official scored items.
I try to look at a disagreement from everyone's side before deciding.
Illustrative example in the style of the scale, not an official scored item.
I often feel warm, protective concern for people who are struggling.
Illustrative example, not an official scored item.
I get so absorbed in a good story that I feel like one of the characters.
Illustrative example, not an official scored item.
In tense, emotional situations I feel apprehensive and ill at ease.
Illustrative example, not an official scored item.
Honest strengths and limitations
Strengths
- The most widely used self-report empathy measure, with a well-replicated four-factor structure across many languages and cultures.
- Separates cognitive from affective empathy, giving a richer profile than a single empathy number.
- Decades of validation against prosocial behaviour, perspective-taking tasks and related social measures.
Limitations
- There is no single empathy score - the four subscales are relatively independent and must be read separately, so one number cannot summarise "how empathic" you are.
- Personal Distress is self-focused arousal, not other-oriented empathy; reading a high PD as "more empathic" is a common and important misinterpretation.
- Like all self-reports it can be shaped by self-presentation, and average sex differences mean comparisons are best made within the population that fits you.
See your full profile
A complete report, matched to the population that fits you, with plain-language interpretation of every trait.
Frequently asked questions
What does the empathy test measure?
It measures empathy as four relatively independent tendencies using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index: Perspective Taking and Fantasy (more cognitive) and Empathic Concern and Personal Distress (more affective). The subscales are read separately - there is no single empathy total.
How is the Interpersonal Reactivity Index scored?
You rate twenty-eight statements on a 5-point describes-me scale. Nine items are reverse-keyed, then each subscale is the sum or mean of its seven items. The four subscales are interpreted separately and read against a comparison group, with no clinical cut-offs.
Does a high Personal Distress score mean I am very empathic?
No. Personal Distress measures your own anxiety and discomfort in tense emotional situations, which is self-focused rather than other-oriented. Perspective Taking and Empathic Concern are the subscales that capture empathy toward others; a high Personal Distress score is read in its own right.
How long does it take?
About eight minutes - twenty-eight statements on a 5-point scale.
Related tests
- Davis, M. H. (1983). Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(1), 113-126.
- Davis, M. H. (1980). A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 85.
The Interpersonal Reactivity Index is the work of Mark H. Davis (1980, 1983) and is freely usable for research with attribution; this independent informational page describes the instrument.