Toronto Empathy Questionnaire – TEQ
A brief self-report measure of empathy conceptualized primarily as an emotional process.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire – TEQ was developed by Spreng, R. N., McKinnon, M. C., Mar, R. A., & Levine, B. (2009). It is designed to measure Empathy. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Never, 1 = Rarely, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Often, 4 = Always.
The scale includes 8 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 64. Interpretation guidelines:
- Total Score (Higher scores indicate higher levels of empathy): 0 – 64
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.