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In the present study we examined psychometric properties of the Serbian translation of the Empathy Quotient scale (S-EQ). The translated version of the EQ was applied on a sample of 694 high-school students. A sub-sample consisting of 375 high-school students also completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), another widely used empathy measure. The following statistical analyses were applied: internal consistency analysis, explanatory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses, and factor congruence analysis. Correlation with IRI and gender differences were calculated to demonstrate validity of the instrument. Results show that the Serbian 40-item version of EQ has lower reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .782) than the original. The originally proposed one factor structure of the instrument was not confirmed. The short version with 28 items showed better reliablity (alpha= .807). The three-factor solution (cognitive empathy, emotional reactivity, and social skills) showed good cross-sample stability (Tucker congruence coefficient over .8) but the results of CFA confirmed the solution proposed in the reviewed literature only partially. The mean scores are similar to those obtained in the other studies, and, as expected, women have significantly higher scores than men. Correlations with all subscales of IRI are statistically significant for the first two subscales of EQ, but not for the „social skills.” We concluded that the Serbian version of the „Empathy Quotient” is a useful research tool which can contribute to cross-cultural studies of empathy, although its psychometric characteristics are not as good as those obtained in the original study. We also suggest that a 28-item should be used preferably to the original 40-item version. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179018: Identification, measurement and development of cognitive and emotional competences important for a society oriented to European integrations

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Aim and background The role of the perceived social support in prevention of depression in adolescence still remains an insufficiently explored problem. By integrating the results of the previous studies of moderator role of perceived social support between negative life events and depression in adolescence we set up two goals. One is to determine whether perceived social support has moderator role in the sample consisted of clinical, subclinical, and control respondents. Another goal is to identify in which group the interaction effect is significant, i.e. the perceived social support acts as moderator. Methods The sample consisted of 412 adolescents (61.7% female and 38.3% male) aged 13-17 years (mean = 15.70, SD = 1.22). We applied: Data sheet for all respondents; Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview; Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; Adolescent Life Events Questionnaire; Centre for Epidemiological Depression Scale. Results We have shown that the association between levels of depressive symptoms and negative life events changes as the value of the moderator variable perceived social support changes. The finding that the moderating interaction effect was significant only in the subclinical group is particularly interesting. Conclusions Taking into account that perceived social support moderates the association between negative stress events and levels of depression, we can propose a model for the prevention of depression, which will include perceived social support. However, future research with longitudinal design is required to verify the results.

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