Table 2 Rotated factor coefficients by item means, standard deviations, and item–total score correlations of the JSE-S
Item† | Factor 1 | Factor 2 | Factor 3 | Factor 4 | Mean (SD) | rit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Physicians should try to think like their patients in order to render better care. (17) | .72 | .15 | −.09 | .05 | 5.3 (1.3) | .61** |
Physicians should try to stand in their patients’ shoes when providing care to them. (9) | .71 | .08 | .21 | −.01 | 5.5 (1.3) | .63** |
Physicians’ understanding of the emotional status of their patients, as well as that of their families, is one important component of the physician–patient relationship. (16) | .70 | .24 | −.02 | .28 | 5.7 (1.1) | .67** |
I believe that empathy is an important therapeutic factor in the medical treatment. (20) | .66 | .24 | .03 | .25 | 5.5 (1.2) | .66** |
Understanding body language is as important as verbal communication in physician–patient relationships. (4) | .61 | .09 | .17 | .09 | 5.8 (1.2) | .57** |
Patients feel better when their physicians understand their feelings. (2) | .61 | .06 | .04 | .14 | 6.0 (1.1) | .53** |
A physician’s sense of humor contributes to a better clinical outcome. (5) | .60 | .04 | .23 | .12 | 5.4 (1.4) | .57** |
Physicians should try to understand what is going on in their patients’ minds by paying attention to their nonverbal cues and body language. (13) | .58 | .21 | .05 | −.08 | 5.3 (1.2) | .55** |
Patients value a physician’s understanding of their feelings which is therapeutic in its own right. (10) | .56 | .22 | .09 | −.06 | 5.5 (1.2) | .56** |
Empathy is a therapeutic skill without which the physician’s success is limited. (15) | .55 | .19 | −.21 | .09 | 4.6 (1.5) | .50** |
Physicians’ understanding of their patients’ feelings and the feelings of their patients’ families does not influence medical or surgical treatment. (1) | −.03 | .68 | .01 | −.02 | 5.2 (1.6) | .38** |
Asking patients about what is happening in their personal lives is not helpful in understanding their physical complaints. (12) | .28 | .64 | .13 | .30 | 5.5 (1.2) | .62** |
Attentiveness to patients’ personal experiences does not influence treatment outcomes. (8) | .19 | .61 | .03 | −.24 | 5.0 (1.5) | .46** |
Patients’ illnesses can be cured only by medical or surgical treatment; therefore, physicians’ emotional ties with their patients do not have a significant influence in medical or surgical treatment. (11) | .46 | .60 | .11 | .22 | 5.6 (1.2) | .71** |
I believe that emotion has no place in the treatment of medical illness. (14) | .48 | .55 | .13 | .15 | 5.6 (1.3) | .70** |
Attention to patients’ emotions is not important in history taking. (7) | .42 | .52 | .21 | .17 | 5.8 (1.2) | .67** |
It is difficult for a physician to view things from patients’ perspectives. (3) | .10 | .05 | .86 | .06 | 4.1 (1.5) | .39** |
Because people are different, it is difficult to see things from patients’ perspectives. (6) | .13 | .20 | .85 | −.07 | 4.3 (1.5) | .48** |
I do not enjoy reading nonmedical literature or the arts. (19) | .06 | .20 | .17 | .71 | 5.8 (1.4) | .36** |
Physicians should not allow themselves to be influenced by strong personal bonds between their patients and their family members. (18) | −.20 | .12 | .20 | −.64 | 2.7 (1.4) | −.05 |
Eigenvalue | 4.78 | 2.53 | 1.82 | 1.38 | ||
% Variance | 24 | 13 | 9 | 7 |