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The Essential Difference

The Essential Difference front page | The Systemizing Quotient (SQ) test

The Empathy Quotient (EQ)
The Empathy Quotient is intended to measure how easily you pick up on other people's feelings and how strongly you are affected by other people's feelings. Please read each of the 60 following statements very carefully and rate how strongly you agree or disagree with them by circling your answer. There are no right or wrong answers, or trick questions.

How to take the test
1. Print out this page and circle your answers.
2. Work out your EQ score using the points system explained at the bottom of this page.



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1. I can easily tell if someone else wants to enter a conversation. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
2. I prefer animals to humans. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
3. I try to keep up with the current trends and fashions. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
4. I find it difficult to explain to others things that I understand easily, when they don't understand it first time. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
5. I dream most nights. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
6. I really enjoy caring for other people. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
7. I try to solve my own problems rather than discussing them with others. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
8. I find it hard to know what to do in a social situation. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
9. I am at my best first thing in the morning. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
10. People often tell me that I went too far in driving my point home in a discussion. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
11. It doesn't bother me too much if I am late meeting a friend. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
12. Friendships and relationships are just too difficult, so I tend not to bother with them. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
13. I would never break a law, no matter how minor. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
14. I often find it difficult to judge if something is rude or polite. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
15. In a conversation, I tend to focus on my own thoughts rather than on what my listener might be thinking. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
16. I prefer practical jokes to verbal humour. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
17. I live life for today rather than the future. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
18. When I was a child, I enjoyed cutting up worms to see what would happen. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
19. I can pick up quickly if someone says one thing but means another. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
20. I tend to have very strong opinions about morality. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
21. It is hard for me to see why some things upset people so much. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
22. I find it easy to put myself in somebody else's shoes. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
23. I think that good manners are the most important thing a parent can teach their child. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
24. I like to do things on the spur of the moment. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
25. I am good at predicting how someone will feel. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
26. I am quick to spot when someone in a group is feeling awkward or uncomfortable. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
27. If I say something that someone else is offended by, I think that that's their problem, not mine. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
28. If anyone asked me if I liked their haircut, I would reply truthfully, even if I didn't like it. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
29. I can't always see why someone should have felt offended by a remark. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
30. People often tell me that I am very unpredictable. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
31. I enjoy being the centre of attention at any social gathering. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
32. Seeing people cry doesn't really upset me. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
33. I enjoy having discussions about politics. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
34. I am very blunt, which some people take to be rudeness, even though this is unintentional. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
35. I don?tend to find social situations confusing. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
36. Other people tell me I am good at understanding how they are feeling and what they are thinking. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
37. When I talk to people, I tend to talk about their experiences rather than my own. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
38. It upsets me to see an animal in pain. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
39. I am able to make decisions without being influenced by people's feelings. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
40. I can't relax until I have done everything I had planned to do that day. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
41. I can easily tell if someone else is interested or bored with what I am saying. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
42. I get upset if I see people suffering on news programmes. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
43. Friends usually talk to me about their problems as they say that I am very understanding. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
44. I can sense if I am intruding, even if the other person doesn't tell me. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
45. I often start new hobbies but quickly become bored with them and move on to something else. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
46. People sometimes tell me that I have gone too far with teasing. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
47. I would be too nervous to go on a big rollercoaster. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
48. Other people often say that I am insensitive, though I don?always see why. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
49. If I see a stranger in a group, I think that it is up to them to make an effort to join in. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
50. I usually stay emotionally detached when watching a film. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
51. I like to be very organised in day to day life and often make lists of the chores I have to do. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
52. I can tune into how someone else feels rapidly and intuitively. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
53. I don't like to take risks. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
54. I can easily work out what another person might want to talk about. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
55. I can tell if someone is masking their true emotion. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
56. Before making a decision I always weigh up the pros and cons. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
57. I don't consciously work out the rules of social situations. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
58. I am good at predicting what someone will do. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
59. I tend to get emotionally involved with a friend's problems. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree
60. I can usually appreciate the other person's viewpoint, even if I don't agree with it. strongly agree slightly agree slightly disagree strongly disagree




How to work out your EQ score
Score two points for each of the following items if you answered 'definitely agree' or one point if you answered 'slightly agree': 1, 6, 19, 22, 25, 26, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 52, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60.

Score two points for each of the following items if you answered 'definitely disagree' or one point if you answered 'slightly disagree': 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15,18, 21, 27, 28, 29, 32, 34, 39, 46, 48, 49, 50

All other questions are not scored.

What your score means
On average, most women score about 47 and most men about 42. Most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20.

0-32 = You have a lower than average ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately.

33-52 = You have an average ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately. You know how to treat people with care and sensitivity.

53-63 = You have an above average ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately. You know how to treat people with care and sensitivity.

64-80 = You have a very high ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately. You know how to treat people with care and sensitivity.

Once you have both your EQ and SQ, go here to work out what type of brain you have.

What type of brain do you have?
Once you have worked out both your EQ and SQ scores, click here to work out what type of brain you have.





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