Interpersonal Reactivity Index

I daydream and fantasize, with some regularity, about things that might happen to me.

I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me.

I sometimes find it difficult to see things from the "other guy's" point of view.

Sometimes I don't feel very sorry for other people when they are having problems.

I really get involved with the feelings of the characters in a novel.

In emergency situations, I feel apprehensive and ill-at-ease.

I am usually objective when I watch a movie or play, and I don't often get completely caught up in it.

I try to look at everybody's side of a disagreement before I make a decision.

When I see someone being taken advantage of, I feel kind of protective towards them.

I sometimes feel helpless when I am in the middle of a very emotional situation.

I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective.

Becoming extremely involved in a good book or movie is somewhat rare for me.

When I see someone get hurt, I tend to remain calm.

Other people's misfortunes do not usually disturb me a great deal.

If I'm sure I'm right about something, I don't waste much time listening to other people's arguments.

After seeing a play or movie, I have felt as though I were one of the characters.

Being in a tense emotional situation scares me.

When I see someone being treated unfairly, I sometimes don't feel very much pity for them.

I am usually pretty effective in dealing with emergencies.

I am often quite touched by things that I see happen.

I believe that there are two sides to every question and try to look at them both.

I would describe myself as a pretty soft-hearted person.

When I watch a good movie, I can very easily put myself in the place of a leading character.

I tend to lose control during emergencies.

When I'm upset at someone, I usually try to "put myself in his shoes" for a while.

When I am reading an interesting story or novel, I imagine how I would feel if the events in the story were happening to me.

When I see someone who badly needs help in an emergency, I go to pieces.

Before criticizing somebody, I try to imagine how I would feel if I were in their place.