The Portuguese version of the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy: Validation in a sample of adolescents

Empathy is a key sociocognitive skill that reflects the ability to perceive and experience others’ emotional states. In the present research, we aimed to validate the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy (AMES) in a sample of 534 14- to 19-year-old Portuguese adolescents (207 boys, M = 16.22 years, SD = .92). Construct validity, reliability (internal consistency), measurement invariance, and convergent and known-groups validity were assessed. The original structure of three-related factors was confirmed (comparative fit index [CFI] = .99, Tucker–Lewis index [TLI] = .99, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .04, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = .05), with all factors showing acceptable internal consistency. Measurement invariance considering the sex and the school year of participants was supported. The AMES also revealed good convergent validity, having significantly positive associations with all subscales of the Basic Empathy Scale. Finally, girls showed higher cognitive and affective empathy and sympathy than boys, and 12th graders revealed higher cognitive and affective empathy and sympathy than 10th and 11th graders, thus attesting AMES known-groups validity. Overall, the Portuguese version of the AMES appears to be an adequate measure of empathy and sympathy for adolescents.