The Empathy Assessment Index (EAI): A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Multidimensional Model of Empathy

Abstract

Both historically and currently, social work and related fields have expressed considerable interest in the construct of empathy. However, the ability to define and ultimately measure empathy is limited. This project validates a revised version of the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI), which is a measure rooted in a social cognitive neuroscience conceptualization of empathy. To evaluate the instrument’s psychometric properties, we administered the 50-item EAI with a five-component model of empathy to a sample of 773 undergraduate students and community members. We evaluate the EAI psychometrics conducting internal consistency, testretest, and confirmatory factor analyses. Findings indicate that a 17-item five-factor model of the EAI offers the best fit [CFI = .98; RMSEA = .04 (90% CI (.03; .05); WRMR = .80]. The data do not support using empathic attitudes as a proxy for actions; however, the findings suggest the EAI functions better when measuring a fourfactor model, offering an important implication for future research.