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Table 2 Interpersonal Reactivity Index Exploratory Factor Analysis Question Loading Across Ten Multiply Imputed Iterations (n = 343)

From: Interpersonal reactivity index adaptation among expectant seroconcordant couples with HIV in Zambézia Province, Mozambique

Question (subscale)

Factor 1

Factor 2

1) I imagine and dream, with some regularity, about things that might happen to me. (FS)

0.24–0.39

0.14–0.36

2) I often have feelings of affection and concern for people less happy than me. (EC)

0.34–0.44

0.17–0.29

3) I can see things from “another person's” point of view. (PT-)

0.11–0.18

0.46–0.59

5) I really get involved with the feelings of the characters in a movie. (FS)

0.44–0.54

0.04–0.24

6) In emergency situations, I feel afraid and ill- disposed. (PD)

0.03–0.12

0.40–0.51

7) I’m not normally objective when I watch a movie or game, and I often get completely caught up in it. (FS-)

0.23–0.36

0.23–0.42

8) I try to look at everybody’s side of a disagreement before I make a decision. (PT)

0.36–0.45

−0.01-0.16

10) Sometimes I feel helpless when I am in the midst of a very emotional situation. (PD)

0.11–0.23

0.36–0.50

11) Sometimes, to try to understand my friends better, I imagine how things seem from their perspective. (PT)

0.36–0.43

0.14–0.27

12) It’s a common for me to become heavily involved in a good book or movie. (FS-)

−0.27--0.18

0.52–0.60

13) When I see someone get hurt, I usually don’t stay calm. (PD-)

−0.15--0.09

0.65–0.72

14) The misfortunes of other people usually disturb me much. (EC-)

−0.31--0.21

0.61–0.75

15) If I’m sure I’m right about something, I spend time listening to other people’s arguments. (PT-)

0.19–0.24

0.20–0.34

16) After seeing a play or movie, I feel like I’m one of the characters. (FS)

0.54–0.56

− 0.07-0.02

17) Being in an emotional and tense situation scares me. (PD)

−0.03--0.01

0.43–0.50

18) When I see someone being treated unfairly, I feel much pity for them. (EC-)

−0.18--0.14

0.54–0.62

19) I tend to be ineffective in dealing with emergencies. (PD-)

0.37–0.43

0.13–0.26

20) I am often very touched by things that I see happen. (EC)

0.39–0.46

0.08–0.21

21) I believe there are two sides to every question and I usually look at both. (PT)

0.51–0.58

−0.07-0.03

22) I would describe myself as a very kind person. (EC)

0.49–0.61

−0.25--0.18

23) When I watch a good movie, I can easily put myself in the place of the main character. (FS)

0.67–0.78

−0.23−− 0.14

24) I tend to lose control during emergencies. (PD)

0.15–0.24

0.24–0.35

25) When I’m upset with someone, I tend to try to put myself in their place for a while. (PT)

0.49–0.60

-0.14--0.07

26) When a film is interesting, I wonder how I would feel if the events in the story were happening to me. (FS)

0.68–0.76

−0.12--0.06

27) When I see someone who needs help in an emergency, I become torn apart. (PD)

0.23–0.37

0.20–0.30

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

0.46–0.60

−0.27--0.17

  1. Cognitive Empathy Subscales: Fantasy Scale (FS) and Perspective Taking (PT)
  2. Affective Empathy Subscales: Personal Distress (PD) and Empathic Concern (EC)
  3. “-” indicates that the question was originally negatively coded
  4. Boldface indicates loadings greater than 0.40 over all 10 iterations or an item in the final scale
  5. Italics indicates loadings with ranges that cross 0.40 over all 10 iterations
  6. Final Cognitive Scale Questions: 5, 16, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28
  7. Final Affective Scale Questions: 6, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18