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Translation and Validation of the Arabic version of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) to Examine its Correlation with Social Anxiety, Social Desirability and Gender Differences
Khan, Somayya
Khan, Somayya
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to translate and validate an Arabic version of the BES and examine its correlation with social desirability, social interaction anxiety and gender differences. We used a quantitative survey approach. The study utilized four scales turned into questionnaires which were all translated into Arabic: the original BES, the Perth Empathy Scale (PES), the Social Desirability Scale with 17 items (SDS-17), and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and administered to 192 Arab speaking sample aged 18+. The results yielded an excellent reliability but satisfactory validity followed by a higher empathy score for females than males. No correlation was found between social interaction anxiety and empathy but there was a correlation with social desirability and empathy. The findings conclude that cultural variations can affect how empathy is expressed and perceived, and a culturally appropriate scale guarantees that the evaluation correctly captures these nuances.