Is the Empathy Quotient Test Accurate and Reliable?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the accuracy and reliability of the Empathy Quotient Test, with participants sharing their scores and personal reflections on the test's design and implications. The conversation touches on the subjective experience of taking the test, the interpretation of results, and the nature of empathy itself.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express skepticism about the test's scientific validity, questioning the use of the term "scientifical" and the overall design of the test.
  • Several participants share their scores, ranging from 10 to 34, and reflect on what these scores might indicate about their empathy levels.
  • One participant notes a preference for non-human animals over humans, suggesting a potential disconnect in social interactions.
  • Concerns are raised about the similarity of questions in the test, with some participants questioning how this affects the accuracy of the results.
  • There is mention of a specific question in the test that seems to confuse participants, highlighting the subjective nature of interpreting such questions.
  • Some participants report a lack of emotional response to the video content, attributing it to perceived staging rather than genuine social cues.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express a lack of consensus regarding the accuracy and reliability of the Empathy Quotient Test, with multiple competing views on its design and implications for understanding empathy.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that some questions in the test appear redundant or confusing, and there is uncertainty about how scoring is determined. The subjective nature of empathy and individual experiences with the test are also highlighted.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring psychological assessments, particularly those related to empathy, as well as those curious about the subjective experiences of taking such tests.

physics user1
https://psychology-tools.com/empathy-quotient/

Also watch this video:

How it was? What was your empathy quotient? Did you yawn? :)
 
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Yeah, out of sheer boredom.
But the third pic in 'people yawning' was magnificent: what a disguise !
And I also think the composers may wel fail the idiot test they advertise at the end: "scientifical' . Ha !
 
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I had 34 out of 80 what ever that means.
 
"Scientifical"...really?

Anyway, I didn't yawn; I guess I'm a certified psychopath. :)
 
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I got 21:eek:
 
Cruz Martinez said:
I got 21:eek:
If it makes you feel better, I got 17. If I saw someone cry, I would feel awful and probably try to comfort them. I also always try to put myself in someone else's shoes. The problem is I suck at detecting social cues. I have a very dry sense of humor that often offends people. Because of that, I prefer to be alone.

I admit, I do prefer non-human animals to humans.
 
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Amrator said:
If it makes you feel better, I got 17. If I saw someone cry, I would feel awful and probably try to comfort them. I also always try to put myself in someone else's shoes. The problem is I suck at detecting social cues. I have a very dry sense of humor that often offends people. Because of that, I prefer to be alone.

I admit, I do prefer non-human animals to humans.
I am exactly like that. I think the name of the test is a bit midleading.
 
I may have a problem, I only yawned when I saw the dog yawn.
 
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BvU said:
Yeah, out of sheer boredom.
But the third pic in 'people yawning' was magnificent: what a disguise !
And I also think the composers may wel fail the idiot test they advertise at the end: "scientifical' . Ha !
Also, "...lack the ability to emphasise and recognise the emotions of others". How does "emphasise" fit into that sentence? Shouldn't it be "empathise"? Or am I missing something.

I get infected by yawning in real life, but had absolutely no reaction to the ones in the video. My suspicion is that I see it as staged, so there's no social cue to respond to.
 
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  • #10
"You’'re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, it’'s crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating it's legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’'t, not without your help. But you'’re not helping. Why is that?"
 
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  • #11
I got 10/80 on the empathy test
 
  • #12
According to the sources listed at the bottom either Borat or Ali G had a hand in that test. Which goes some way to explaining the erratic results.
 
  • #13
Many questions are so similar, I don't see how having all of them would improve the accuracy of the test. Some of them are strange.
I prefer animals to humans.
Even ignoring that humans are animals: Context? Do I prefer a street or a bottle of water? Well, depends on where I am, where I want to go and how thirsty I am.
I dream most nights.
Everyone does every night (or more precisely, when they sleep). What a strange question.
Before making a decision, I always weigh up the pros and cons.
No one does. We make tiny decisions all the time. Like, every second.
 
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  • #14
mfb said:
Many questions are so similar, I don't see how having all of them would improve the accuracy of the test. Some of them are strange.

If you change some of your answers to some of the questions, the score doesn't change. So I guess some questions are not necessary for some reason? I don't really understand the entire scoring of the test.
 
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