Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
There is a positive correlation between the cognitive and behavioral subscales (.42) ( Reid et al., 2012 ). Also, the
KEDS total score and cognitive and behavioral subscales correlate positively with the Bryant Index of Empathy
(.21, .14, and .20, respectively). The total and cognition scores correlate positively with both the Emotion
Vocabulary Test ( Dyck et al., 2001 ) and the Happe Strange Stories test ( Happe, 1994 ). The KEDS total score corre-
lates .21 with the BEQ, emotional vocabulary (.25), while behavior scores correlate .24 with emotional vocabulary.
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003 ) Full-Scale IQ, Verbal Comprehension
(VCI) and Perceptual Reasoning (PRI) subtests correlate positively with the KEDS total score, as well as with
affect and behavior subscales. KEDS total and affect scores correlate positively with Working Memory (WMI).
Divergent/Discriminant
The KEDS total and cognition scores do not correlate with the Emotion Recognition Task ( Baron-Cohen et al.,
1997 ). For total scores and for affective, cognitive, and behavioral subscales, older children exhibit significantly
higher mean scores on each scale than younger children. The KEDS total scale correlates negatively ( 2.23) with
the WCST-PE, while subscale correlations with the WCST-PE were as follows: affect ( 2.24), behavior ( 2.18).
Also, females score more highly on total KEDS and the cognition subscale than do males ( Reid et al., 2012 ).
Construct/Factor Analytic
A principal components analysis with varimax rotation produced four components. The first component
exhibited the highest loadings on items with single figures, positive emotions, and unhappy situations where
affect could be inferred without other characters’ mental states; this component was labeled ‘Simple’. The second
component loaded on items of figures experiencing conflicting emotions or where an expectation was violated
(situations which involve reconciling two perspectives); this component was labeled ‘Complex’. The third compo-
nent entailed items where figures were in conflict, attacking, or taking advantage of another figure; this compo-
nent was labeled ‘Aggression’. The fourth component loaded on items from a scenario that reflected a parent/
child interaction and was labeled ‘Authority’.
Criterion/Predictive
No criterion/predictive validity evidence is currently available.
Location
Reid, C., Davis, D., Horlin, C., Anderson, M., Baughman, N., & Campbell, C. (2013). The kids’ empathic devel-
opment scale (KEDS): A multi-dimensional measure of empathy in primary school-aged children. British Journal
of Developmental Psychology, 31 , 231/C0256.
Results and Comments
The KEDS aims to provide a comprehensive measure of empathy that overcomes problems in how an individ-
ual estimates empathy, the simplicity of scenarios in other story based scales, observer and expectancy bias that
transpires from self-report measures, as well as language restraints in young children. It also distinguishes
between empathy, sympathy, and distress. All KEDS scales (except cognitive subscale) display significant correla-
tions with the WISC-IV and the VCI, suggesting that performance on the KEDS depends to some extent on a
child’s general verbal comprehension. The cognitive scale, unlike the affective and behavioral scales, in most
cases does not require the child to go beyond the stimulus picture to infer the answer.
NEUROSCIENTIFIC MEASURES OF EMPATHY
Can neuroscientific measures such as MRI be used to measure empathy? The answer is Yes. To limit our mea-
surements of empathy to self-report or behavioral tasks would not satisfactorily progress research in the field.
We include neuroscientific measures here, highlighting their importance and future use (see Gerdes et al., 2010 ).276 10. MEASURES OF EMPATHY: SELF-REPORT , BEHAVIORAL, AND NEUROSCIENTIFIC APPROACHES
III. EMOTION REGULATION