Empathy Quotient

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Your score: 20
0 - 32 = low (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20)

Interesting. Thought I'd score higher than that. I don't think that I lack as much empathy as a score of 20 would suggest. It just depends on whether I see a logical solution or not.

Also, does someone want to explain to me how some of those questions were relevant in determining our EQ? I don't understand. I mean, I don't follow fashion, ok, but what does that have to do with empathy? Same with the "morning person" question. I'm not, but again, what does that have to do with empathy? And the roller coaster one? (sorry if someone has asked a similar question; didn't read whole thread)

17

As I said earlier in the thread, those questions are essentially "fillers", meant to throw the test-taker off track to minimize people manipulating their results. They don't affect the scoring at all.

Also, the scoring goes like this: if you answer "strongly" on the "more empathetic" way, you'll get 2 points. If it's "slightly", you'll get 1 point. And then, if your answer leans towards the non-empathetic direction, it doesn't matter whether you answer "slightly" or "strongly", you won't get any points either way.

The paper about this test and the scoring key are available online for free, if someone wants to read them.

Ok, thanks

This is what I tried to point out with the hair cut question. It doesn't take empathy to not blurt out the haircut sucks. Holding back one's tongue isn't for me an empathy thing, it's an "I can visualize how they'll react to my words, and can't figure out a way to act" thing. And then sometimes I'll take so long to answer a question someone asks me, "Does this haircut look good?" that I'll freeze up, I really don't want to say it sucks, I don't want to give them a line of s**t by telling that person it's lovely, cos I'm rather incapable of bullshtting in the first place. I anticipate the reaction, just can't really make my words work in my favor. Can't lie, and still try to avoid an assholish remark... Usually end up finding something to comment about the cut, and then make a point that it's "different," lol. Has happened many a time...

Maybe that is a sign of empathy. LOL. It just doesn't seem like it, I figured it to be natural or something. I do care about how my words come out, and take quite a while at times to get them out, it's just they don't ever feel "right." Anybody ever have a problem with the way you come across to others? I've been pressed before about my lack of compliments to girlfriends, and it kind of bugs me that I think certain things, but don't push them out my mouth... This is the thing I'm on about, it always feels like to me that my words are "fake" and I don't want that... Maybe I'm misinterpreting things, but eh, screw it. Something similar from anyone else? I don't even think I have the right words here to describe the problem...

I dont know. I might have an idea what you mean. I find that with face to face conversation, there is simply not enough time to formulate a response that is both appropriate and true to oneself. Especially when asked about a haircut... I find that this is my major problem with communication, when I speak things often come out in a way I didnt want it to.

You say you don't know, but ya summed it up perfectly. There's not enough time, even if there was I'd have trouble tho! That last part is true for me as well. There might be a thousand things I could say, nothing seems "right" tho. Eh, not a lot to do with empathy I guess...

14 for me, and honestly I'm not sure what that means. I know I'm a social nitwit, I don't know how to conduct myself in social-type situations, but I always thought I was pretty sympathetic toward other people. (I know sympathy and empathy aren't the same, but they're similar.) For the most part I know how to respect the feelings of others, I am aware that I say/do things that can be construed as rude or uncaring or insensitive and I will try to keep myself in check, depending on who I'm talking to. Oddly enough, the more I care about the person, the less I rein in my behavior; I guess I feel like I have a license to be more myself around the people I'm closest to. My husband gets it the worst, and I feel bad about that, but of all people I shouldn't have to "fake being normal" around him.

That happens all the time. Where others can go on instinct, I need to calculate.
Check the data base and select the socially appropriate response. If I take too long, the buzzer goes off and I’ve lost the moment. Oh, well. I tried. Of course it sometimes comes over as calculated. But it’s not insincere or dishonest. I do understand and I do care. I’m just a little slow.

Of note,

Empathy: being able to feel what it's like walking in someone else's shoes, even though you've never worn said shoes
Sympathy: being able to have an understanding of what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes as you've worn the same type before

People with ASDs [usually] don't have problems with the latter. Empathy is a social construct that allows the whole group to feel something that one of their members experiences, even though they haven't experienced it (it whips them up into an emotional frenzy), for the most part, anyway.

Interesting way to say it Danielismyname. I've not seen it so clearly spelled out, the difference. Makes sense now.

Your score: 22

0 - 32 = low (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20)
33 - 52 = average (most women score about 47 and most men score about 42)
53 - 63 is above average
64 - 80 is very high
80 is maximum

*LAA LAA LAA I DON'T HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING*

Ok, ok, time to take a look in the old quiz result self-dx file.

One word: Ouch. I had forgotten how bad it was.

I scored 23.

I feel I am a very empathic person so the test is flawed.

The test correlates social skills with empathy which is faulty reasoning when it comes to aspies.

But the test is pretty accurate on measuring my social skills I think.

Hmm... does one actually have to *care* about how a person feels in order to sympathize with them? Or can you sympathize, because you've been there yourself at one point...but not really feel caring warm fuzzy emotions towards the person now experiencing the same thing?

Did that come out as clear as I meant it to?

I've had a lot of crap in my life, so I feel that I do understand how a lot of people feel in situations I've been in before. I don't however, always really care. I understand... I'm there if they want to vent... but most of the time I guess it doesn't really affect me?

Okay, yeah, I have none of this.
Sympathy, I've got oodles of that.
And compassion for those whose current struggles are my past struggles, absolutely.