CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION AND PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF THE INTERPERSONAL REACTIVITY INDEX (IRI) FOR INDONESIAN PRE-SERVICE EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

Abstract

Empathy is a vital competence for early childhood teachers, influencing teacher–child interactions and emotional learning. However, the conceptualization and expression of empathy may differ across cultural contexts, making cross-cultural validation essential to ensure that the construct is measured equivalently. This study aimed to adapt and examine the psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI; Davis, 1983) for Indonesian pre-service early childhood teachers, ensuring its cultural and linguistic relevance within the Indonesian educational context. Using Beaton et al.’s (2000) cross-cultural adaptation procedure, the process included translation, synthesis, back-translation, expert review, and pilot testing. Data from 251 participants were analyzed through item validity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results supported a four-factor structure—Fantasy, Empathic Concern, Perspective Taking, and Personal Distress—explaining 73.25% of the total variance. Model fit indices were acceptable (χ² = 791.60; GFI = 0.914; CFI = 0.940; TLI = 0.919; RMSEA = 0.086). Cronbach’s α = .976 and composite reliability = 0.87–0.94 confirmed strong internal consistency. The adapted IRI demonstrated satisfactory validity, reliability, and cross-cultural equivalence, providing a psychometrically sound tool for assessing empathy in Indonesian early childhood teacher education.