Three Empathy Measures as Correlates of Test and Rating Criteria

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Abstract
In order to compare subjective, projective and objective measures of empathy both directly and as to relative power in predicting various group criteria, three empathy measures were obtained from 119 senior and 110 junior nursing students. Measures were ranks of a positive empathy-relevant item among other self values and of a negative empathy-relevant item among self faults, an Incomplete Sentence Test, and the Diplomacy Test of Empathic Ability. Criteria were achievement tests and ratings of individual performances in various areas. Preliminary research and the results suggest three conclusions. (1) As indicated by the generally low correlations among the empathy measures, the indices of empathy are not measuring the same thing. This may be explained by viewing empathy as consisting of several components, with each measure of empathy focusing more or less on one component. (2) Providing the empathy-relevant value and fault statements used in this study were opposites, the self-assessment of empathy within a framework of self values is not significantly related to the self-assessment of empathy when stated negatively and viewed within a framework of self faults. (3) Empathy as measured has limited value in predicting nursing criteria irrespective of whether the measures are used singly or in combination. Except for two of the nursing criteria, very little predictive accuracy is gained by using more than one empathy measure.

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