Author: Harrison G. Gough

The Empathy (Em) Scale measures an individual’s ability to understand and connect with the emotions and perspectives of others. It reflects characteristics such as compassion, sensitivity, and the capacity to build trust through genuine care. This scale highlights a person’s skill in fostering meaningful relationships and responding thoughtfully to the needs of others.

The scale is part of the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), a well-established tool for understanding personality characteristics that contribute to effective behavior in various contexts. This scale is frequently used in leadership development and organizational coaching to identify strengths and developmental opportunities.

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Features of the Empathy Scale

Purpose: To assess an individual’s ability to understand and respond to the emotions and needs of others, fostering trust and connection.

Length: Approximately 50 items

Average completion time: 5 minutes

Target population: High school age and older.

Administration: Designed for individual administration.

Validation: Demonstrated validity across diverse populations and contexts.

Uses of the Empathy Scale

  • Self-Evaluation
  • Leadership development
  • Coaching and personal growth
  • Organizational research

High scores on Em are indicative of versatility, social insight, urbanity, wit, verbal fluency, and initiative. High scorers on Em do seem to be able to put themselves into the psychological frames of others and to sense how they feel and think. (p. 102)

-- From H.G. Gough & P. Bradley (1996), “CPI Manual Third Edition” (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press)