Testing the Psychometric Properties of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) in Chile
Empathy in a Different Cultural Context
Abstract
The psychometric properties of Davis’ (1980) Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) in Chile were assessed. The IRI was applied to a sample of 435 college students. Appropriate internal consistencies and test-retest stability resulted. The instrument’s validity was evidenced by the interrelations among the scales, in addition to its correlations in the predicted direction to other related psychological constructs, and sex differences emerged in three of its dimensions. A confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the theoretical structure of the IRI in Chile, and the suitability of both the four-factor model and a second order factor that integrates three of the dimensions . The implications and comparison of the results with other adaptations of the IRI are discussed.
References
(2004). The empathy quotient: An investigation of adults with Asperger Syndrome or high functioning Autism, and normal sex differences. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34, 163–175.
(1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 237–246.
(1989). Structural equations with latent variables. New York: Wiley.
(1993). Testing structural equation models. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
(2002a). The hierarchical structure of empathy: Dimensional organization and relations to social functioning. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 43, 49–59.
(2002b). Interviewer agreement in the judgment of empathy in selection interviews. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 10, 198–205.
(1980). A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 85.
(1983). Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 113–126.
(1996). Empathy: A social-psychological approach. Boulder, CO: Westview.
(2009). Validez y confiabilidad del Positive and Negative Affect Schedule en Chile [
Validity and reliability of the positive and negative affect schedule in Chile ]. Manuscript submitted for publication.(2006). Propiedades psicométricas de la escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg en universitarios chilenos [
Psychometric properties of Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in Chilean university students ]. In , Memorias de las XIII Jornadas de Investigación y Segundo Encuentro de Investigadores en Psicología del MERCOSUR: Paradigmas, Métodos y Técnicas (Vol. III, pp. 499–500). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Ediciones de la Facultad de Psicología – Universidad de Buenos Aires.(1999). Análisis multivariante (5th ed.) [
Multivariate analysis ]. Madrid: Prentice Hall Ibérica.(2000). Dispositional empathy in scientist and practitioner-psychologists: Group differences and relationship to self-reported professional effectiveness. Psychotherapy, 37, 45–56.
(2005). Principles and practices of structural equation modeling. New York: Guilford.
(2005). Goodness of fit in structural equation models. In , Contemporary psychometrics. A Festschrift for Roderick P. McDonald (pp. 275–340). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
(2005). Development and validation of a measure of display knowledge: The Display Rule Assessment Inventory. Emotion, 5, 23–40.
(2009). The effect of varying the number of response alternatives in rating scales: Experimental evidence from intraindividual effects. Behavior Research Methods, 41, 295–308.
(2004). La medida de la empatía: análisis del Interpersonal Reactivity Index [
The measure of empathy: Analyses of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index ]. Psicothema, 16, 255–260.(2006). Mplus (Version 4.1). Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.
(2009). Measuring general dispositions to feeling empathy and distress. Psicothema, 21, 171–176.
(2003). Adaptación de Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) al espanol [
Adaptation of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to Spanish ]. Psicothema, 15, 267–272.(2004). The hierarchical structure of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Social Behavior and Personality, 32, 35–360.
(2002). Measurement equivalence: A comparison of methods based on confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 517–529.
(1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
(1994). Corrections to test statistics and standard errors in covariance structure analysis. In , Latent variable analysis: Applications to developmental research (pp. 399–419). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
(2010). Some guidelines concerning the modeling of traits and abilities in test construction. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 26, 1–2.
(2005). Validation of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index in a Chinese context. Research on Social Work Practice, 15, 118–126.
(2007). SPSS for Windows (Version 15.0.1.1). Chicago, IL: SPSS.
(1990). Structural model evaluation and modification: An interval estimation approach. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 25, 173–180.
(1980). Handbook of cross-cultural psychology. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
(2008). Self-functioning and perceived parenting: Relationships of parental empathy and love inconsistency with narcissism, depression, and self-esteem. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 169, 51–71.
(2007). Preliminary analysis and normative data of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in adolescents and adults of Santiago, Chile. Terapia Psicologica, 25, 155–162.
(1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1063–1070.
