Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Interpersonal Reactivity Index

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) is a published measurement tool for the multi-dimensional assessment of empathy. It was developed by Mark H. Davis, a professor of psychology at Eckerd College. The tool is widely used—the paper describing it has been cited 3697 times, according to Google Scholar.

The tool is a self-report comprising 28-items answered on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “Does not describe me well” to “Describes me very well”.

The four subscales are:

  1. Perspective Taking – the tendency to spontaneously adopt the psychological point of view of others.
  2. Fantasy – taps respondents' tendencies to transpose themselves imaginatively into the feelings and actions of fictitious characters in books, movies, and plays.
  3. Empathic Concern – assesses "other-oriented" feelings of sympathy and concern for unfortunate others.
  4. Personal Distress – measures "self-oriented" feelings of personal anxiety and unease in tense interpersonal settings.

Example questions:

  • 11. I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective.
  • 28. Before criticizing somebody, I try to imagine how I would feel if I were in their place.

    • References

    Interpersonal Reactivity Index Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA