The self-effacing empathy scale : its validity and reliability among adolescents and their parents

Abstract

BACKGROUND : Empathy is a cornerstone of interpersonal and emotional health, yet its measurement often conflates self-oriented sympathetic responses with other-oriented empathy. To measure other-oriented empathy in its interpersonal manifestation, the Self-Effacing Empathy Scale (SEES) was examined for its validity and reliability among adolescents and their parents. METHOD : Adolescents and their parents, resident in South Africa were recruited through social media. Hundred and twelve participants completed a composite questionnaire that comprised the SEES, Basic Empathy Scale (BES), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and the Vigour Assessment Scale (VAS). A replicative data set comprising the same measures was collected eight weeks later from the same participants. RESULTS : Convergent validity of the SEES was found in it correlating strongly in the initial data set with the BES (r = 0.639) and moderately with the other-oriented items of the IRI (r = 0.528), and strongly in the replicative data set (r = 0.884; r = 0.771). Discriminant validity was found in its weak correlation with the VAS (r = 0.326) in the initial data set. Cronbach's alpha coefficients indicated good (0.697) and excellent (0.940) internal consistency. The SEES incurred a small standard error of measurement, whereby the total scores were differing at most between 2.34 and 2.49 from the true values over 72 theoretically possible scores. A three-factor model indicated structural reliability, accounting for 46.3 % and 64.8 % of the cumulative variance in the respective data sets. CONCLUSIONS : The SEES provides a valid and reliable measure for investigating associations between health and self-effacing empathy, and effects of interventions on it.

HIGHLIGHTS • The SEES is reciprocally other-oriented rather than self-oriented like sympathy. • The SEES showed convergent validity with other empathy scales. • The SEES showed good internal consistency and only a small error of measurement. • Structurally, it yielded a 3-factor model accounting for 64.8 % of the variance. • The SEES provides for research on health associations and effects of interventions.