The aim of this study was to develop a measure to evaluate the management of empathic capacity. To this end, two studies were conducted. Study 1 (N = 277, 172 females) describes the scale creation procedure, factorial validity, and internal consistency. The exploratory factor analysis yielded a five-factor model with 18 items (62.4% of the variance explained). The dimensions were as follows: D1: identification, D2: incorporation, D3: reverberation, D4: separation, and D5: projection. The internal consistency was good (alpha values ranging from 0.70 to 0.80). Study 2 (N = 480, 323 females) examined the validity (including convergent validity) of the model and the relationships with sociodemographic variables. The five-factor model showed a robust goodness of fit, χ² = 240.5, p < 0.001, root mean square residual (RMSR) = 0.05. The fit indices were satisfactory, Non-normed fit index (NNFI) = 0.89, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.90, mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.04. The convergent validity analysis showed that, as empathy management increased, so too did the empathy level and emotional intelligence. Some differences by age and sex were found. In conclusion, the Empathy Management Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for analyzing the empathic process that allows vulnerabilities and strengths to be estimated, which could improve professional practice in the healthcare context.

Background/Objectives: When a relationship ends due to abuse, a favorable attitude toward reconciliation may become a risk factor. The objective of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to measure the attitude toward returning to an ex-partner. Methods: A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the dimensionality and psychometric quality of the items. The main study involved 55 women who had been victims of gender violence. Results: Following item analysis and assessments of reliability (α = 0.93) and validity, a unidimensional 16-item scale was developed. The instrument, named the “Attitude Toward Returning to an Ex-partner Scale” (ATRES), allows for the identification of predispositions to return to a relationship in which serious abuse has occurred. Moreover, the findings revealed that a heightened perception of danger, along with forgiveness directed toward oneself, the other person, and the situation, was associated with a less favorable attitude toward reconciliation. Conversely, high religiosity predisposed individuals to rekindle the relationship. Conclusions: The scale could serve to facilitate interventions, mainly in situations where restoring the relationship can be a risk. The assessment of the predisposition to forgive the ex-partner—namely, the individual who perpetrated the abuse—as well as the victim’s attitude toward re-engaging in the relationship, constitute important considerations for preventing revictimization. The ATRES is the first self-report measure designed to assist researchers and professionals in the precise assessment of specific beliefs and myths underlying the reinstatement of a relationship.

El objetivo de este estudio fue la construcción y validación de la Escala de Disposición para Perdonar, incorporando las diferentes dimensiones y orientaciones de respuesta que integran el perdón. El primer estudio (209 participantes) describió el proceso de generación de los ítems y realizó un análisis exploratorio que arrojó una estructura de dos factores: “perdón a uno mismo y a las situaciones” y “perdón al otro”. El segundo estudio (245 participantes) analizó la validez de constructo a través de un análisis confirmatorio de los factores, de la consistencia interna y de las correlaciones con otras escalas utilizadas para evaluar la validez convergente. El resultado fue una escala compuesta por 13 ítems, con adecuadas propiedades psicométricas. La Escala de Disposición para Perdonar mostró una asociación positiva con otros instrumentos que miden perdón, autoestima y satisfación personal, y evidenció su capacidad para medir el perdón disposicional en población española. La aplicación de la escala facilitará el ajuste de la intervención terapéutica para que la disposición a perdonar deje de ser un factor de vulnerabilidad para la persona dañada.

In the original publication (Vázquez et al