TEQ
Toronto Empathy Questionnaire
A 16-item self-report measure of empathy.
For each statement, select how often the described experience applies to you. Answer based on how you generally are.
About the TEQ
The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire was developed by Spreng, McKinnon, Mar, and Levine (2009) to measure emotional empathy — the ability to understand and respond to others’ emotional states. Unlike the EQ, which blends cognitive and affective empathy, the TEQ focuses specifically on the emotional component.
16 items on a 5-point frequency scale (Never to Always). 8 items are reverse-scored. Designed for adults (16+). Takes 5–7 minutes.
Scoring
Each item scores 0–4; reverse items are inverted. The range is 0–64. A score of 45 or above indicates higher-than-average empathy. Non-autistic males typically score 43–44; non-autistic females typically score 45–49.
Validity
The TEQ demonstrates strong validity, correlating positively with social skills and other self-report empathy measures, and negatively with measures of autism symptomatology across three validation studies.
Important: This measures self-reported empathy, not empathic capacity. Autistic individuals may experience and express empathy differently. A lower score is not a diagnosis and does not mean a person lacks empathy.
Spreng, R. N., McKinnon, M. C., Mar, R. A., & Levine, B. (2009). The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire: Scale development and initial validation of a factor-analytic solution to multiple empathy measures. Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(1), 62–71.