EQ-SQ
Empathy/Systemizing Quotient for Children (EQ-SQ)
The child EQ-SQ is an observer-rated questionnaire, usually completed by a parent, designed to assess two dimensions of cognitive style described by the empathizing-systemizing theory in children aged 4 to 11: empathy, that is, the ability to identify and understand other people's mental and emotional states and to respond to them appropriately, and systemizing, that is, interest in regularities, rules, categories, and how systems work. The tool comprises 55 items mixing the two dimensions in order to limit response bias. It is mainly used in research and as a complementary clinical measure of the socio-cognitive profile, particularly in exploring developmental particularities and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.
- Number of questions
- 55 questions
- Estimated duration
- 10 minutes
- Language
- English
- Original name
- Empathy/Systemizing Quotient for Children
- Target audience
- Children aged 4-11
- Authors
- Bonnie Auyeung, Sally Wheelwright, Carrie Allison, Matthew Atkinson, Nelum Samarawickrema, Simon Baron-Cohen (2009)
- Category
- Autism spectrum, Childhood
Scoring & interpretation
Each item has 4 response options. For items keyed in the direction of the trait assessed, "definitely agree" scores 2 points, "slightly agree" 1 point, and both disagree responses 0 points. For reverse-worded items, scoring is reversed. The empathy total is calculated separately over 27 items, with a maximum score of 54, and the systemizing total over 28 items, with a maximum score of 56. A high EQ score indicates more empathic behaviors, while a high SQ score indicates a stronger orientation toward rules, details, categories, and systems. Interpretation focuses mainly on the comparative profile of the two scores rather than on a single diagnostic cutoff. A standardized difference score can also be calculated to identify an empathizing, balanced, or systemizing style.
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