Internal and External Validation of the Empathy Toward Animals Scale

Abstract

The Empathy Toward Animals (ETA) scale measures two dimensions of animal-directed empathy: (1) Empathic Concern, encompassing the emotional aspects, and (2) Perspective Taking, encompassing the cognitive aspects. Although adapted from an existing measure of human-directed empathy, the original version of the ETA scale has not undergone a comprehensive investigation of its internal and external validity. Nevertheless, it continues to be used in research assessing animal-directed empathy, based on indicators of internal consistency and face/content validity. The current study sought to enhance the evidence for the ETA scale by (1) evaluating construct validity and (2) assessing convergent validity. To accomplish these objectives, a sample of 800 adults was recruited. Construct validity was evaluated using two sample cross-validation techniques to perform confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses, as well as assess internal consistency. Convergent validity was assessed through correlation matrices, t-tests, and a multiple linear regression exploring variables associated with the ETA scale. Results support the reliability of two distinct dimensions (i.e., Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking) and the latent variable (i.e., Empathy Toward Animals), and there were significant associations with conceptual constructs as expected (e.g., human-directed empathy and compassion, attitudes and beliefs about animals and nature, demographic variables). Additionally, human-directed empathy and nature relatedness significantly predict ETA. Implications for the definition and measurement of animal-directed empathy are discussed. The findings highlight the potential of leveraging empathy within interventions aimed at deepening human–animal bonds and promoting pro-environmental behaviors.

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