The Chinese 10-Item Empathy Quotient and Systemising Quotient-Revised: Internal Consistency, Test-Retest Reliability,...

The 10-item version of the Empathy Quotient (EQ-10) and the Systemising Quotient-Revised (SQ-R-10) were originally developed in the English-speaking population. However, little is known about the reliability of these measures. There is also extremely limited research translating or evaluating any translated version of these 10-item measures. The present study translated the measures into Chinese and evaluated the Chinese 10-item EQ (C-EQ-10) and SQ-R (C-SQ-R-10).

An online survey consisting of the C-EQ-10 and the C-SQ-R-10 was completed by 698 non-autistic adults and 43 autistic adults in Hong Kong.

Internal consistency of the measures was satisfactory in the autistic group (α = 0.60-0.63) and good in the non-autistic group (α = 0.76-0.82). Test-retest reliability was high in both the autistic group (r = .76-0.81) and the non-autistic group (r = .80-0.84). On average, the autistic group had significantly lower empathising than did the non-autistic group (Cohen's d = -1.21), and there was a trend of higher systemising in the autistic group than in the non-autistic group (Cohen's d = 0.20). On average, within the non-autistic group, males had significantly lower empathising (Cohen's d = -0.57) and significantly higher systemising (Cohen's d = 0.33) than did females. These average sex differences were attenuated and non-significant in the autistic group. Distribution patterns of "brain types" based on empathising-systemising difference scores seem to suggest that "brain types" are shifted towards systemising types in autistic or male participants.

The C-EQ-10 and the C-SQ-R-10 are valid and reliable measures.