Name/Pseudonym:

Please indicate your sex: male female intersexed

Are you gifted? no not sure top ten percent 98th percentile (Mensa level) 99.9th percentile

Are you on the autistic spectrum? no not sure yes - formal diagnosis yes - self diagnosed

If yes, which diagnosis?

Each question should be scored with a number from 0 (does not describe me well) to 4 (describes me very well).

1. I daydream and fantasize, with some regularity, about things that might happen to me.
   0 1 2 3 4
2. I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me.
   0 1 2 3 4
3. I sometimes find it difficult to see things from the "other guy's" point of view.
   0 1 2 3 4
4. Sometimes I don't feel very sorry for other people when they are having problems.
   0 1 2 3 4
5. I really get involved with the feelings of the characters in a novel.
   0 1 2 3 4
6. In emergency situations, I feel apprehensive and ill-at-ease.
   0 1 2 3 4
7. I am usually objective when I watch a movie or play, and I don't often get completely caught up in it.
   0 1 2 3 4
8. I try to look at everybody's side of a disagreement before I make a decision.
   0 1 2 3 4
9. When I see someone being taken advantage of, I feel kind of protective towards them.
   0 1 2 3 4
10. I sometimes feel helpless when I am in the middle of a very emotional situation.
    0 1 2 3 4
11. I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective.
    0 1 2 3 4
12. Becoming extremely involved in a good book or movie is somewhat rare for me.
    0 1 2 3 4
13. When I see someone get hurt, I tend to remain calm.
    0 1 2 3 4
14. Other people's misfortunes do not usually disturb me a great deal.
    0 1 2 3 4
15. If I'm sure I'm right about something, I don't waste much time listening to other people's arguments.
    0 1 2 3 4
16. After seeing a play or movie, I have felt as though I were one of the characters.
    0 1 2 3 4
17. Being in a tense emotional situation scares me.
    0 1 2 3 4
18. When I see someone being treated unfairly, I sometimes don't feel very much pity for them.
    0 1 2 3 4
19. I am usually pretty effective in dealing with emergencies.
    0 1 2 3 4
20. I am often quite touched by things that I see happen.
    0 1 2 3 4
21. I believe that there are two sides to every question and try to look at them both.
    0 1 2 3 4
22. I would describe myself as a pretty soft-hearted person.
    0 1 2 3 4
23. When I watch a good movie, I can very easily put myself in the place of a leading character.
    0 1 2 3 4
24. I tend to lose control during emergencies.
    0 1 2 3 4
25. When I'm upset at someone, I usually try to "put myself in his shoes" for a while.
    0 1 2 3 4
26. When I am reading an interesting story or novel, I imagine how I would feel if the events in the story were happening to me.
    0 1 2 3 4
27. When I see someone who badly needs help in an emergency, I go to pieces.
    0 1 2 3 4
28. Before criticizing somebody, I try to imagine how I would feel if I were in their place.
    0 1 2 3 4

If for some reason this form does not work for you, please copy it into an email (NO ATTACHMENTS PLEASE!) and email it to me at acerridwen@telus.net

What does it mean?

Source: Davis, Mark H, 1980. A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 85.

Personality scales

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