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Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)

Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) Test

Understand how you relate to others, including perspective taking and emotional response, in about 6 minutes. Pinpoint strengths and stress triggers to guide better communication, support, and self-awareness.

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Questions: 286 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

20,855 views

1,404 completions

1,171 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

10/28

Perspective Taking (PT)

Measures how readily a person can adopt another person's perspective in everyday situations.

Less perspective-taking

Moderate perspective-taking

Strong perspective-taking

0 – 12: Less perspective-taking | 13 – 20: Moderate perspective-taking | 21 – 28: Strong perspective-taking

A score of 10 suggests you may less often shift into another person's point of view and may rely more on your own perspective in day-to-day interactions.

example score

2/28

Fantasy (F)

Measures how readily a person imaginatively identifies with and experiences the feelings of fictional characters.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 9: Low | 10 – 18: Moderate | 19 – 28: High

A score of 2 falls in the Low range, suggesting you rarely immerse yourself in fictional characters’ experiences or feel their emotions through imagination.

example score

14/28

Empathic Concern (EC)

Assesses how strongly a person tends to feel warmth, compassion, and concern for others and to offer supportive help.

Lower empathic care

Moderate empathic care

Higher empathic care

0 – 9: Lower empathic care | 10 – 18: Moderate empathic care | 19 – 28: Higher empathic care

A score of 14 indicates a moderate tendency to feel compassion and concern for others, with supportive responses that may vary by situation.

example score

10/28

Personal Distress (PD)

Measures how much personal discomfort and unease someone feels when witnessing others' distress in emotionally charged situations.

Low distress

Moderate distress

High distress

0 – 9: Low distress | 10 – 18: Moderate distress | 19 – 28: High distress

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate distress range, suggesting a noticeable but generally manageable level of unease in response to others’ suffering.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Therapists and counselors

38%OF USERS

They use it to assess clients’ empathy patterns and tailor support around perspective-taking, concern, and emotional overwhelm.

Couples and relationship seekers

34%OF USERS

They take it to understand why conflicts happen, how each partner reacts to others’ feelings, and where misunderstandings come from.

Helpers at risk of burnout

28%OF USERS

People in caregiving or people-facing roles use it to see whether empathic concern is turning into personal distress and fatigue.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

What You’ll See After You Finish the Test

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.

Practical
Recommendations

Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Detected
Insights

Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Psychologist

Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.

In someone else's place (Isep)

Average

9.8

Normal range

4.6 — 15

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Daydreaming (D)

Average

13.7

Normal range

8.8 — 18.5

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Empathic Care (EC)

Average

15.7

Normal range

12.2 — 19.3

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Personal distress (Pd)

Average

12.1

Normal range

8.6 — 15.6

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures four components of empathy: perspective taking, empathic concern, imaginative involvement with fictional characters, and personal distress in response to others’ suffering.

How long does it take to complete?

Completion typically takes about 6 minutes.

How many items are included?

There are 28 statements.

How should responses be selected?

Choose the option that best matches typical reactions, not what seems ideal. Answer all items based on first impressions unless an item is unclear.

How should the results be interpreted?

Scores are reported separately for each of the four components rather than as a single total. Interpretation should consider context and is not a clinical diagnosis by itself.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) Test - Symptoms and Signs

empathy

This self-report measure is designed to assess dispositional empathy across multiple components. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) captures both cognitive and affective reactions to others in everyday situations.

It consists of 28 items and typically takes about 6 minutes to complete. Respondents rate statements reflecting perspective taking, empathic concern, fantasy/imaginal involvement, and personal distress in response to others’ experiences.

Originally developed by M. H. Davis, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) is commonly used in clinical and research settings to characterize individual differences in empathic responding and to support case formulation or outcome monitoring when empathy-related processes are clinically relevant.

Author: M. H. Davis

Literature: Eisenberg, N., & Miller, P. A. The relation of empathy to prosocial and related behaviors. Psychological Bulletin. 1987.; Davis, M. H. Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1983.; Decety, J., & Jackson, P. L. The functional architecture of human empathy. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews. 2004.; Davis, M. H. A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1980.

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