Three facets form the construct Empathy:
- Empathic Concern
- Perspective Taking
- Personal Distress

Items
The following statements inquire about your thoughts and feelings in a variety of situations. For each item, indicate how well it describes you by choosing the appropriate letter on the scale: A, B, C, D or E. Read each item carefully before responding. Answer as honest as you can.

Facet	Variable	Item Description
Empathic Concern	Empathic_Concern1	I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me
Empathic Concern	Empathic_Concern2	Sometimes I don't feel very sorry for other people when they are having problems
Empathic Concern	Empathic_Concern3	When I see someone being taken advantage of, I feel kind of protective towards them
Empathic Concern	Empathic_Concern4	Other people's misfortunes do not usually disturb me a great deal
Empathic Concern	Empathic_Concern5	When I see someone being treated unfairly, I sometimes don't feel very much pity for them
Empathic Concern	Empathic_Concern6	I am often quite touched by things that I see happen
Empathic Concern	Empathic_Concern7	I would describe myself as a pretty soft-hearted person
Perspective Taking	Perspective_Taking1	I sometimes find it difficult to see things from the "other guy's" point of view"
Perspective Taking	Perspective_Taking2	I try to look at everybody's side of a disagreement before I make a decision
Perspective Taking	Perspective_Taking3	I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective
Perspective Taking	Perspective_Taking4	If I'm sure I'm right about something, I don't waste much time listening to other people's arguments
Perspective Taking	Perspective_Taking5	I believe that there are two sides to every question and try to look at them both
Perspective Taking	Perspective_Taking6	When I'm upset at someone, I usually try to "put myself in his shoes" for a while
Perspective Taking	Perspective_Taking7	Before criticizing somebody, I try to imagine how I would feel if I were in their place
Personal Distress	Personal_Distress1	In emergency situations, I feel apprehensive and ill-at-ease
Personal Distress	Personal_Distress2	I sometimes feel helpless when I am in the middle of a very emotional situation
Personal Distress	Personal_Distress3	When I see someone get hurt, I tend to remain calm
Personal Distress	Personal_Distress4	Being in a tense emotional situation scares me
Personal Distress	Personal_Distress5	I am usually pretty effective in dealing with emergencies
Personal Distress	Personal_Distress6	I tend to lose control during emergencies
Personal Distress	Personal_Distress7	When I see someone who badly needs help in an emergency, I go to pieces

Source:
Davis, M. H. (1980). A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy.
JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 85.