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Interpersonal Reactivity Index

IRI
psychologysocial scienceshealth sciencesFree for research use

Permission: Free for research use. Free for non-commercial academic research, with no licence fee. Cite the original publication.

A 28-item multidimensional measure of dispositional empathy, comprising four 7-item subscales: Perspective Taking (cognitive empathy), Fantasy (imaginative identification), Empathic Concern (other-oriented affect), and Personal Distress (self-oriented affect).

Items
28
Response format
5-point response scale
Version
1.0
Subscales
4

Ready-to-cite methods sentence

Dispositional empathy was assessed with the 28-item Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI; Davis, 1980, 1983) across four 7-item subscales: Perspective Taking, Fantasy, Empathic Concern, and Personal Distress. Subscale scores were computed after reverse-scoring the nine relevant items; standardized alphas in the original development samples ranged from .68 to .79 (Davis, 1980).

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Reliability & validation

Notes
Test-retest over 60 to 75 days in 109 University of Texas undergraduates: .61 to .79 for men and .62 to .81 for women (Davis, 1980).
Validation population
Undergraduate students
Test–retest
0.61–0.79
Cronbach's α
0.68–0.79

Subscales

Perspective TakingFantasyEmpathic ConcernPersonal Distress

Response anchors

Does not describe me well (A) · B · C · D · Describes me very well (E)

Known limitations

The four subscales tap distinct constructs and should be reported separately; a single total IRI score is not recommended. The original sample was US undergraduates, and item wording (e.g., the gendered phrase in item 25) dates the instrument; some later reproductions update it.

Original citation

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

Questions researchers ask

What does the IRI measure?

A 28-item multidimensional measure of dispositional empathy, comprising four 7-item subscales: Perspective Taking (cognitive empathy), Fantasy (imaginative identification), Empathic Concern (other-oriented affect), and Personal Distress (self-oriented affect).

How many items does the IRI have?

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) has 28 items across 4 subscales: Perspective Taking, Fantasy, Empathic Concern, Personal Distress.

Is the IRI free to use?

The IRI is free to use for non-commercial academic research. You don't need to pay a license fee, but you should always cite the original publication.

Is the IRI reliable?

Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.68–0.79, test–retest reliability of 0.61–0.79. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.

Who developed the IRI, and how do I cite it?

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

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Library entry verified September 2026. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.