Children’s Empathy Quotient and Systemizing Quotient – Parent Version (EQ-SQ Child)
A parent-report questionnaire designed to assess empathy and systemizing traits in children.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Children’s Empathy Quotient and Systemizing Quotient – Parent Version (EQ-SQ Child) was developed by B. Auyeung, S. Wheelwright, C. Allison, M. Atkinson, N. Samarawickrema, S. Baron-Cohen (2009). It is designed to measure Empathy and Systemizing. The scale is intended for use with Children (parent-report).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 55 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Empathy Quotient, Systemizing Quotient.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Empathy Quotient | 1,2,4,6,7,9,13,14,17,18,20,23,26,28,30,31,33,36,37,40,42,43,45,48,52,53,55 | 27 |
| Systemizing Quotient | 3,5,8,10,11,12,15,16,19,21,22,24,25,27,29,32,34,35,38,39,41,44,46,47,49,50,51,54 | 28 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 4 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 23 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 56. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Empathy / Systemizing: 0 – 30
- Average to High Empathy / Systemizing: 31 – 56
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha: EQ = 0.84, SQ = 0.75.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.