Research Article

Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study

Volume: 19 Number: 2 October 15, 2026
TR EN

Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study

Abstract

Online communication platforms now constitute one of the principal arenas of interpersonal exchange; constraints on nonverbal signaling, asynchronous turn-taking, and varying degrees of anonymity together reshape how individuals interpret others' states and decide whether to act on them. The present research developed and examined the psychometric properties of the Digital Empathy Scale (DES), a 12-item instrument intended to capture empathic orientation in online contexts, using a sequential three-phase design. In the first phase (N = 300), a 29-item pool was submitted to principal axis factoring; the analysis returned a one-factor solution explaining 45.6% of the total variance (KMO = .892; Bartlett χ²(66) = 1464.63, p < .001; factor loadings .57–.68). In the second phase (N = 417), confirmatory factor analysis on an independent sample supported the proposed structure (CFI = .945; TLI = .928; RMSEA = .072; SRMR = .050) and yielded external validity evidence (general empathy r = .599; digital well-being r = .367; social desirability r = .164; α = .929; split-half r = .871). In the third phase (N = 80), the scale exhibited substantial temporal stability across a two-week interval (r = .817, p < .001). Taken together, the findings provide convergent psychometric evidence supporting the DES as a sound instrument for assessing empathy within digital communication settings.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Communication and Media Studies (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

October 15, 2026

Submission Date

April 16, 2026

Acceptance Date

July 1, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 19 Number: 2

APA
Yıldırmaz, A. (2026). Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study. Selçuk İletişim, 19(2), 917-937. https://doi.org/10.18094/josc.1931924
AMA
1.Yıldırmaz A. Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study. JOSC. 2026;19(2):917-937. doi:10.18094/josc.1931924
Chicago
Yıldırmaz, Abdullah. 2026. “Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study”. Selçuk İletişim 19 (2): 917-37. https://doi.org/10.18094/josc.1931924.
EndNote
Yıldırmaz A (October 1, 2026) Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study. Selçuk İletişim 19 2 917–937.
IEEE
[1]A. Yıldırmaz, “Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study”, JOSC, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 917–937, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.18094/josc.1931924.
ISNAD
Yıldırmaz, Abdullah. “Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study”. Selçuk İletişim 19/2 (October 1, 2026): 917-937. https://doi.org/10.18094/josc.1931924.
JAMA
1.Yıldırmaz A. Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study. JOSC. 2026;19:917–937.
MLA
Yıldırmaz, Abdullah. “Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study”. Selçuk İletişim, vol. 19, no. 2, Oct. 2026, pp. 917-3, doi:10.18094/josc.1931924.
Vancouver
1.Abdullah Yıldırmaz. Digital Empathy Scale: A Validity and Reliability Study. JOSC. 2026 Oct. 1;19(2):917-3. doi:10.18094/josc.1931924