Tag: Empathy

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Enhancing Empathy Through Behavioral Mirroring: A 5-minute Experiential Activity

by Dr. Andrew Bennett, Old Dominion University Overview One component necessary to enhance positive change in the world is increased empathy and perspective taking. Behavioral mirroring / behavioral synchrony is one activity that has shown promise for improving individual empathy (Bräuninger, 2014) and self-other awareness (Koch, Mehl, Sobanski, Sieber, & Fuch, 2015). This exercise guides participants through a short behavioral mirroring activity with provided instructions and debrief questions. The mirroring activity is appropriate for skill development courses (e.g., Managerial Skills, Negotiations) or…