Below is a list of statements. Please read each statement carefully and rate how strongly you agree or disagree with it. There are no right or wrong answers, or trick questions. In order for the scale to be valid, you must answer every question.
Report details · optional
Shown on the report and stored with the screening record. Use initials or a code, not full names.
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About this screener — evidence, source, alternatives
Forty statements about recognising and responding to other people’s thoughts and feelings, each scoring 0–2 (maximum 80). Higher scores mean more self-reported empathy. Designed for adults of average or higher intelligence, it complements the AQ when assessing the social side of autism; it is not diagnostic on its own.
Evidence · validated
Adults with Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism (n = 90) scored significantly lower than matched controls; 81.1% scored 30 or less versus 12.2% of controls (Baron-Cohen & Wheelwright, 2004). The authors suggest this use in clinic settings but not for screening the general population. General-population means are about 42 (men) and 47 (women); test–retest reliability and validity were confirmed by Lawrence et al. (2004).
Free alternative to
- Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd ed. (SRS-2) Adult · WPS
Paid social-reciprocity rating; the EQ is a free self-report of the empathy dimension.
Source & licence
Baron-Cohen S, Wheelwright S. The Empathy Quotient: an investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high functioning autism, and normal sex differences. J Autism Dev Disord. 2004;34(2):163–175. Lawrence EJ, Shaw P, Baker D, Baron-Cohen S, David AS. Measuring empathy: reliability and validity of the Empathy Quotient. Psychol Med. 2004;34:911–919.
Licence: © Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge — free for research and clinical use, non-commercial, with acknowledgement
ARC terms: tests may be used free of charge for non-commercial purposes with due acknowledgement of ARC as the source, and may not be adapted or modified without ARC permission. For-profit or commercial users may need a licence (via ePROVIDE). Reproduced unmodified; rights holders can contact us to correct or remove. The ARC form adds: “This questionnaire is used for research purposes only. If you have concerns that predate filling out the questionnaire then please consult your family doctor.” It is offered here as a clinician-facing trait measure alongside clinical assessment, never as a diagnostic test.
Official source ↗