The Empathy Quotient (EQ)
How empathetic are you?


1. I can easily tell if someone else wants to enter a conversation. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
2. I prefer animals to humans. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
3. I try to keep up with the current trends and fashions. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
4. I find it difficult to explain to others things that I understand easily, when they don’t understand it the first time. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
5. I dream most nights. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
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6. I really enjoy caring for other people. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
7. I try to solve my own problems rather than discussing them with others. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
8. I find it hard to know what to do in a social situation. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
9. I am at my best first thing in the morning. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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10. People often tell me that I went too far in driving my point home in a discussion. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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disagree
11. It doesn’t bother me too much if I am late meeting a friend. strongly
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agree
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12. Friendships and relationships are just too difficult, so I tend not to bother with them. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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13. I would never break a law, no matter how minor. strongly
agree
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agree
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14. I often find it difficult to judge if something is rude or polite. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
strongly
disagree
15. In a conversation, I tend to focus on my own thoughts rather than on what my listener might be thinking. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
16. I prefer practical jokes to verbal humor. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
17. I live life for today rather than the future. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
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disagree
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disagree
18. When I was a child, I enjoyed cutting up worms to see what would happen. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
19. I can pick up quickly if someone says one thing but means another. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
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20. I tend to have very strong opinions about morality. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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21. It is hard for me to see why some things upset people so much. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
22. I find it easy to put myself in somebody else’s shoes. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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23. I think that good manners are the most important thing a parent can teach their child. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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disagree
24. I like to do things on the spur of the moment. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
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disagree
25. I am good at predicting how someone will feel. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
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26. I am quick to spot when someone in a group is feeling awkward or uncomfortable. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
27. If I say something that someone else is offended by, I think that that’s their problem, not mine. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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disagree
28. If anyone asked me if I liked their haircut, I would reply truthfully, even if I didn’t like it. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
strongly
disagree
29. I can’t always see why someone should have felt offended by a remark. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
30. People often tell me that I am very unpredictable. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
31. I enjoy being the center of attention at any social gathering. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
32. Seeing people cry doesn’t really upset me. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
33. I enjoy having discussions about politics. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
34. I am very blunt, which some people take to be rudeness, even though this is unintentional. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
35. I don’t tend to find social situations confusing. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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36. Other people tell me I am good at understanding how they are feeling and what they are thinking. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
37. When I talk to people, I tend to talk about their experiences rather than my own. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree
38. It upsets me to see an animal in pain. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
39. I am able to make decisions without being influenced by people’s feelings. strongly
agree
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disagree
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40. I can’t relax until I have done everything I had planned to do that day. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
strongly
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41. I can easily tell if someone else is interested or bored with what I am saying. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
strongly
disagree
42. I get upset if I see people suffering on news programmes. strongly
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43. Friends usually talk to me about their problems as they say that I am very understanding. strongly
agree
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44. I can sense if I am intruding, even if the other person doesn’t tell me. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
strongly
disagree
45. I often start new hobbies but quickly become bored with them and move on to something else. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
strongly
disagree
46. People sometimes tell me that I have gone too far with teasing. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
strongly
disagree
47. I would be too nervous to go on a big rollercoaster. strongly
agree
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disagree
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48. Other people, often say that I am insensitive, though I don’t always see why. strongly
agree
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disagree
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49. If I see a stranger in a group, I think that it is up to them to make an effort to join in. strongly
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50. I usually stay emotionally detached when watching a film. strongly
agree
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51. I like to be very organized in day-to-day life and often make lists of the chores I have to do. strongly
agree
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agree
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strongly
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52. I can tune into how someone else feels rapidly and intuitively. strongly
agree
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53. I don’t like to take risks. strongly
agree
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54. I can easily work out what another person might want to talk about. strongly
agree
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55. I can tell if someone is masking their true emotion. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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56. Before making a decision I always weigh up the pros and cons. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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disagree
57. I don’t consciously work out the rules of social situations. strongly
agree
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agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
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58. I am good at predicting what someone will do. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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59. I tend to get emotionally involved with a friend’s problems. strongly
agree
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agree
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disagree
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60. I can usually appreciate the other person’s viewpoint, even if I don’t agree with it. strongly
agree
slightly
agree
slightly
disagree
strongly
disagree


Your Empathy Quotient (EQ) is


Source:
S. Baron-Cohen and S. Wheelwright, (2004)
The Empathy Quotient (EQ). An investigation of adults with Asperger Syndrome or High Functioning Autism, and normal sex differences
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 34:163-175

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