The purpose of this assignment is for students to examine empathy as a theoretical and therapeutic construct by reviewing current literature and then conducting an applied “social experiment.” The following is a detailed checklist explaining this assignment and what is expected:
Students will begin with a formal introduction paragraph which should introduce the topic and communicate what will be discussed in the body of the paper.
Students will review at least 3 peer-reviewed, academic sources on the therapeutic construct of empathy, which is “one of the most vital elements in counseling” (Gladding, 2009, p. 157). No website citations are permitted.
Then, students will provide a brief summary of the literature on this topic within the body of the essay, focusing on describing the construct of empathy, its various uses/purposes, and it’s effectiveness in interpersonal and counseling relationships.
Following the academic research, once students grasp the practical application of empathy, students will spend at least one day attempting to empathize with those they come into contact with. Following this social experiment, students will write an essay response about this activity by answering the following questions:
(a) what did it feel like to empathize with others for a full day?
(b) what were some of the reactions you received, if any?
(c) were the people you interacted with more or less receptive to you when you empathized with them?
(d) why don’t more people empathize with others? In other words, why is it so hard to do this?
(e) what reactions do you have regarding our responsibility as Christians to love one another? Does empathy capture a piece of that command? Why or why not?
This essay should be 3-4 pages of text, plus a title page and reference page. No abstract needed.
The following headings should be utilized for this essay: Introduction; Empathy Research; Social Experiment Reflections; Conclusion (if desired).
This assignment should be in APA format.
Required: APA in-text citations for any information that you gather from outside sources.
Students are encouraged to closely review the APA publication manual prior to submission of the paper.
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