Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Start Date

5-8-2013 12:30 PM

End Date

5-8-2013 2:00 PM

Subjects

Empathy -- Study and teachng, High school students -- Attitudes -- Measurement, Empathy -- Measurement, Helping behavior -- Psychological aspects

Abstract

This presentation was given as part of the Panel Presentation Studies in Education at Portland State University's Research Symposium. The Story and Song Centered Pedagogy (SSCP) is an educational framework that uses songs, stories and reflective questioning to increase empathy with an audience. In a preliminary study conducted with high school students, I tested the prediction that being exposed to the SSCP would increase empathy. I focused on the Emotional Concern (EC) and Perspective Taking (PT) subscales of the renowned empathy measurement tool: the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Subjects self-reported their answers to the IRI before and after undergoing the SSCP intervention. Comparing their pre and post intervention results, no statistically significant changes were noticed for the EC and PT scales. However, there was a statistically significant decrease of the Personal Distress (PD) subscale. This decrease in Personal Distress, based on the literature, is reflective of Perspective Taking and Emotional Concern activities and is indicative of an increase in Empathy. These conclusive results lay the foundation for an educational framework that could change the instruction of Empathy in middle and high schools around the world.

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Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/9433

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May 8th, 12:30 PM May 8th, 2:00 PM

The Story and Song Centered Pedagogy: Teaching Empathy in the classroom

This presentation was given as part of the Panel Presentation Studies in Education at Portland State University's Research Symposium. The Story and Song Centered Pedagogy (SSCP) is an educational framework that uses songs, stories and reflective questioning to increase empathy with an audience. In a preliminary study conducted with high school students, I tested the prediction that being exposed to the SSCP would increase empathy. I focused on the Emotional Concern (EC) and Perspective Taking (PT) subscales of the renowned empathy measurement tool: the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Subjects self-reported their answers to the IRI before and after undergoing the SSCP intervention. Comparing their pre and post intervention results, no statistically significant changes were noticed for the EC and PT scales. However, there was a statistically significant decrease of the Personal Distress (PD) subscale. This decrease in Personal Distress, based on the literature, is reflective of Perspective Taking and Emotional Concern activities and is indicative of an increase in Empathy. These conclusive results lay the foundation for an educational framework that could change the instruction of Empathy in middle and high schools around the world.