Table 3 Rotated factor solution, item means and standard deviations, and item-total score correlations
Itema | Factor 1 | Factor 2 | Factor 3 | Factor 4 | Mean/ SD | rit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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) | .797 | .268 | −.044 | .017 | 5.71/1.15 | .70** |
I believe that empathy is an important therapeutic factor in the medical treatment. (20) | .782 | .144 | .060 | .051 | 5.73/1.21 | .65** |
Physicians should try to think like their patients in order to render better care. (17) | .762 | .047 | .042 | .080 | 5.30/1.25 | .58** |
Physicians should try to understand what is going on in their patients’ minds by paying attention to their nonverbal cues and body language. (13) | .726 | .050 | .024 | .012 | 5.35/1.29 | .55** |
Physicians should try to stand in their patients’ shoes when providing care to them. (9) | .722 | .162 | −.056 | −.048 | 5.69/1.19 | .59** |
Patients value a physician’s understanding of their feelings which is therapeutic in its own right. (10) | .705 | .265 | −.103 | −.052 | 5.85/1.15 | .62** |
Empathy is a therapeutic skill without which the physician’s success is limited. (15) | .690 | −.093 | .161 | .165 | 5.91/1.51 | .50** |
Understanding body language is as important as verbal communication in physician–patient relationships. (4) | .641 | .260 | −.178 | −.231 | 6.00/1.09 | .53** |
A physician’s sense of humor contributes to a better clinical outcome. (5) | .593 | .116 | −.174 | −.081 | 5.57/1.34 | .47** |
Patients feel better when their physicians understand their feelings. (2) | .569 | .387 | −.246 | −.215 | 6.07/1.78 | .55** |
Asking patients about what is happening in their personal lives is not helpful in understanding their physical complaints. (12) | .215 | .771 | .124 | .066 | 5.68/1.35 | .65** |
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) | .133 | .714 | .061 | .287 | 5.50/1.44 | .60** |
I believe that emotion has no place in the treatment of medical illness. (14) | .211 | .677 | .270 | .105 | 5.66/1.34 | .63** |
I do not enjoy reading nonmedical literature or the arts. (19) | .034 | .673 | −.004 | .008 | 5.74/1.49 | .47** |
Attention to patients’ emotions is not important in history taking. (7) | .258 | .628 | .160 | .213 | 5.86/1.28 | .64** |
It is difficult for a physician to view things from patients’ perspectives. (3) | −.061 | .173 | .835 | .025 | 3.86/1.41 | .26** |
Because people are different, it is difficult to see things from patients’ perspectives. (6) | −.013 | .311 | .764 | −.062 | 4.21/1.50 | .34** |
Physicians’ understanding of their patients’ feelings and the feelings of their patients’ families does not influence medical or surgical treatment. (1) | −.085 | .162 | .046 | .777 | 4.21/1.78 | .27** |
Attentiveness to patients’ personal experiences does not influence treatment outcomes. (8) | .072 | .312 | −.058 | .719 | 4.92/1.68 | .42** |
Physicians should not allow themselves to be influenced by strong personal bonds between their patients and their family members. (18) | −.271 | −.151 | .261 | .202 | 2.83/1.50 | .-.08 |
Eigenvalue | 5.20 | 3.12 | 1.64 | 1.46 | ||
% Variance | 26.01 | 15.59 | 8.21 | 7.28 |