Psychometric Analysis of the Empathy Scale in a Sample of University Students from Quito-Ecuador

This paper evaluates the psychometric properties of the Empathy Scale in the university context of Ecuador. The psychometric analysis was based on a non-probabilistic sample of 571 students from public and private universities in Quito-Ecuador. Based on preliminary analyses, a reduced version of the Empathy Scale (8 items) is proposed. Regarding the internal structure of the instrument, a first-order bifactorial model was verified through Confirmative Factorial Analysis (χ² = 133.55, gl = 19, p < .001; CFI = .96; TLI = .94; GFI = .95; RMSEA = .10, CI90% [.08 - .12]), composed of two correlated dimensions: Affective Empathy (5 items) and Cognitive Empathy (3 items). Complementarily, evidence supports the presence of a general empathy factor. Finally, satisfactory results were also obtained in terms of reliability and external (nomological) validity. Considering the proposed measurement model, the Empathy Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure empathy in university students. On a practical level, it constitutes a useful resource for the development of institutional strategies involving the diagnosis, monitoring, and analysis of this social skill and its dimensions. It also contributes methodologically to the advancement of research on the academic role of empathy in the regional university context.