Studies on the dimensionality of empathy: translation and adaptation of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)

Authors

  • Leonardo Rodrigues Sampaio UNIVASF
  • Pâmela Rocha Bagano Guimarães UNIVASF
  • Cleonice Pereira dos Santos Camino UFPB
  • Nilton Soares Formiga UFPB
  • Igor Gomes Menezes UFBA

Keywords:

empathy, IRI, scale adaptation, Brazil.

Abstract

Over years several methods have been proposed to assess empathy, being the self-evaluate scales the most employed method. Among these scales, we highlight Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), by Davis (1983) which assess cognitive and affective components of empathy. The main aims of this work were to translate and adapt IRI to using in Brazil, checking its psychometrics properties, and to assess the construct dimensionality of empathy using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results showed that: 1) the translated and adapted IRI version was valid to Brazilian context, 2) The Fantasy dimension is central to explain empathy and 3) A four-factor model explains better empathy than the one and two-factor models. This last finding lends support to the Davis’ and Hoffman’s thesis that a multidimensional view could explain better the construct of empathy.

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Author Biographies

Leonardo Rodrigues Sampaio, UNIVASF

Doutor em Psicologia Cognitiva (UFPE). Professor do Colegiado de Psicologia da UNIVASF.

Pâmela Rocha Bagano Guimarães, UNIVASF

Estudante de gradução em Psicologia da Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco - UNIVASF.

Cleonice Pereira dos Santos Camino, UFPB

Doutora em Psicologia (Universite Catholique de Louvain). Professora do Programa de Pós Graduação em Psicologia Social da UFPB.

Nilton Soares Formiga, UFPB

Mestre em Psicologia Social (UFPB). Doutorando do Programa de Pós Graduação em Psicologia Social da UFPB.

Igor Gomes Menezes, UFBA

Doutor em Psicologia (UFBA). Professor colaborador do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem (UFBA).

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Published

2011-01-12

How to Cite

Sampaio, L. R., Guimarães, P. R. B., Camino, C. P. dos S., Formiga, N. S., & Menezes, I. G. (2011). Studies on the dimensionality of empathy: translation and adaptation of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Psico, 42(1). Retrieved from https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/ojs/index.php/revistapsico/article/view/6456

Issue

Vol. 42 No. 1 (2011)

Section

Articles

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