Abstract

Empathic concern and personal distress are the emotional components of empathy according to most utilized models. These components can be conceptualized in a dispositional or situational form. Previous analyzes tend to consider dispositional scales, with little evidence for situational ones. The present study analyzed the factor structure of a situational scale of emo-tional empathy, composed of empathic concern and personal distress. In a convenience sample of Chilean university students (N = 539), the one-order and second-order fit of the scale was analyzed using factor analysis. The results indicated a good (& chi;2/ gl = 4.189, cri = .964, Tli = .932, SRMR = .042, RMSEA = .086, Aic = 12041.418, Bic = 12097.185) and better (& chi;2difference(1) = 16.689, p < .001, |& delta;cfi| = .237, |& UDelta;RMSEA| = .636, y |& delta;SRMR| = .076, all of them > .01, |& delta;Aic| = 211.633 > 10, y |& UDelta;Bic| = 207.342 > 10) second-order fit while one-order did not show a good fit (& chi;2/gl = 20.878, cri = .727, Tli = .544, SRMR = .118, RMSEA = .224, Aic = 12253.051, Bic = 12304.527). The results were consistent with the literature. The need for new types of validity and the use of more representative samples was discussed.