Development of the multidimensional empathy scale (MES): Focusing on the distinction between self- and other-orientation

Abstract

In the context of recent developments in the measurement of individual differences in empathy, the present study proposes an integrated conceptual framework for assessing empathy as multidimensional personality dispositions. Preliminary examination resulted in the development of the Multidimensional Empathy Scale (MES), a 24-item self-report measure of 5 dimensions of empathy, for distinctively assessing self/other-orientation of either cognitive or emotional components. As hypothesized, factor analysis revealed 5 distinct factors: (a) Other-Oriented Emotional Reactivity, (b) Self-Oriented Emotional Reactivity, (c) Emotional Susceptibility, (d) Perspective Taking, and (e) Fantasy. In a series of validation studies in which undergraduate students participated, each of the 5 subscales was shown to display a predictable pattern of relationships with existing scales and other hypothetically related indices. These findings, coupled with the theoretically important relationships existing among the 5 subscales themselves, suggest that the Multidimensional Empathy Scale could prove to be a valuable tool for research in personality and social psychology, and for work in applied settings.