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Abstract
In 3 studies, I report on the construction and validation of a multifaceted, self-report measure of an individual's tendency to experience feelings of sorrow or concern for the suffering of others. The Trait Sympathy Scales (TSS) displayed solid properties of reliability (Studies 1–3), content validity (Study 1), factorial validity (Study 1), construct-related validity (Studies 1–3), convergent and discriminant validity (Study 2), as well as predictive validity (Study 3). Findings support the TSS as a sound instrument that offers several advantages over Davis's (1980) Empathic Concern subscale.
Acknowledgments
This article is based in part on a doctoral dissertation completed for the University of Kentucky in 2005. Portions of this research were presented at the eighth annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Memphis, Tennessee, January 2007. I gratefully acknowledge Lynley H. Anderman, Kathleen M. Chard, Eric M. Anderman, H. Thompson Prout, Seth M. Noar, Richard H. Smith, David A. Kenny, Bruce Thompson, Pamela Remer, Rory Remer, Kelly B. Cartwright, and Thomas D. Berry for their advice and guidance on various aspects of this project. I express my gratitude to Catherine A. Lee, Trent R. Haines, Karen H. Strand, Joseph E. Hansel, Christian E. Mueller, Todd W. Pfeiffer, Walter J. Ferrier, Lynn Robbins, David A. Smith, Susan Michelman, Timothy R. Marshall, Jeffrey A. Gibbons, Jason W. Hart, Shelia P. Greenlee, Douglas Gordon, and my students for their assistance and support. I also thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on earlier drafts of this article. Finally, this article is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Sanders whose unwavering support made this article possible.
Notes
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