ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6493-5241
Year
2025
Season
Spring
Paper Type
Doctoral Dissertation
College
Brooks College of Health
Degree Name
Doctor of Clinical Nutrition (DCN)
Department
Nutrition & Dietetics
NACO controlled Corporate Body
University of North Florida. Department of Nutrition & Dietetics
Committee Chairperson
Dr. Jenifer Ross
Second Advisor
Dr. Andrea Arikawa
Third Advisor
Dr. Paul Fuglestad
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Cristy Cummings
College Dean
Mei Zhao, PhD
Abstract
Empathy is an essential component of interpersonal relationships as it promotes a feeling or understanding of another’s emotions and can produce a response leading to altruistic behavior. Empathy demonstrated in higher education could impact student success; however, a scale that measures empathy in higher education instructors does not exist. The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to measure empathy in higher education instructors and to perform initial validation for its use in this population. The scale development started with qualitative research to identify how empathy is perceived by faculty who teach in higher education. It was found that instructors of any academic rank define empathy as multidimensional and demonstrate empathy using both cognitive and affective approaches. A theoretical model that illustrates the potential value of empathy as a prosocial behavior on student outcomes also informed the scale item development. Finally, current validated scales were used for item development, including the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The developed scale underwent exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) along with convergent and discriminant validation. Although the scale generated from the EFA did not demonstrate a good model fit with the CFA, post hoc modifications using modification indices generated a good model fit with a 2-factor, 15-item scale (CFI=0.964; RMSEA = 0.04). The newly developed 2-factor, 15-item empathy scale provides a strong foundation for a validated tool to measure empathy in higher education instructors and will contribute to future teacher-student relationship research.
Suggested Citation
Bridenbaugh, Jennifer R., "The development and initial validation of an empathy scale for higher education instructors" (2025). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1350.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/1350
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Other Education Commons, Other Nutrition Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Social Work Commons