Measuring Historical Empathy in Middle and High School Students: The Historical Empathy Measure

Abstract

This paper introduces the Historical Empathy Measure (HEM), a researcher-developed assessment designed to evaluate the development of historical empathy in Grade 8–10 students in U.S. history classrooms. Grounded in Endacott and Brooks’ framework, the HEM captures the three dimensions of historical empathy: historical contextualization, perspective-taking, and affective connection. Developed during a randomized controlled trial of Mission US, a digital history game, the assessment includes 2 forms, each with 15 closed-ended items, which assess students’ reasoning about historical decision-making. This study describes the multi-stage development process—including adaptation from existing instruments, cognitive interviews, and item refinement—and reports psychometric findings from an analytic sample of 596 students. Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses support the unidimensional structure of the HEM and reveal moderate reliability, with limited evidence of item bias across grade levels. Although further refinement is needed, the HEM offers a promising, classroom-friendly tool for evaluating historical empathy. Implications for instruction, research, and future development of social studies assessments are discussed.

Keywords

RCT social studies recruitment heterogeneity digital games item response theory measure development

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