Individual differences in empathizing and systemizing in Japanese children: Psychometric properties of the children's versions of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ)

In the present study, children's versions of the Empathy Quotient (EQ-C) and the Systemizing Quotient (SQ-C) were administered to 626 Japanese children (313 boys, 313 girls) aged 615 years. The psychometric properties of both quotients were found to be satisfactory. Sex differences were found in the scores for both quotients. The girls scored higher than the boys on the EQ-C, while the boys scored higher than the girls on the SQ-C. Proportions of cognitive styles, which were determined by differences between the standardized scores of the EQ-C and SQ-C, showed clear sex differences. The proportion of participants whose cognitive style was classified as empathizing-dominant was greater for the girls, while the proportion of participants classified as systemizing-dominant was greater for the boys. No developmental changes were found in either the scores for the EQ-C and SQ-C or the proportions of the cognitive styles.