A study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology shows that theater can increase empathy.
The study looked at the effects of three plays through a synthesis of surveys conducted before and after the plays were seen.
Audience members were more willing to empathise with the people depicted in live theater. Exposure to the plays made people think differently about social-political issues portrayed. The increase in empathy was related to how the audience felt.
According to a child mental health counselor and registered drama therapist, theater is an effective way to teach children empathy.
Theater helps us engage emotionally at a deeper level than we would with other art forms because it is more embodied. Incorporating more of your senses is what theater is all about.
The emotional investment in understanding and connecting with characters that are very different from us can be increased by elements inherent in theater as an art form.
According to an article in Medical Science Monitor, it's possible to explain empathy through two different modes of processing.
When we observe someone experiencing an emotion, our own neural network is activated. We can share an emotional state with someone by watching them.
A level of understanding is required before perspective-taking can begin. We begin to understand someone else's unique desires, intentions and beliefs when we do this. The brain's prefrontal areas allow us to have a theory of mind when we think of another person's mental state.
Jenny Toutant, chief of engagement and education officer at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, said that the live nature of theater is part of its power.
There is a dynamic and ephemeral experience between the performers on stage and the audience. The way you breathe has an effect on how someone watches you breathe. You can connect with people on a human level.
There are other artistic elements that can heighten the emotions evoked during the experience.
When you are in a theater, you feel the music in your body, you are close to the actors, and you hear them. The embodied approach makes it more of an emotional experience.
The child needs to have its fundamental emotional needs met in order to develop an emotional process. She says that all children are born with the ability to empathise.
As babies interact with their caregivers, the development of empathy begins. Positive interactions, feelings of calm and safety, and reward systems create an attachment. The quality of that attachment can be linked to a child's ability to empathise and show compassion.
Walsh and Walsh say that by the age of six or seven, executive functioning skills are mature enough to connect with someone else.
Some of the best ways to practice empathy with a child are to mirror feelings back to the child, and to create opportunities for the child to practice empathy. She believes that theater can be a good place for children to practice seeing other peoples' experiences.
The mother of a four-year-old took her son to his first theater experience earlier this year. She says that seeing a story in a live theater environment produced a different reaction from him.
O'Donoghue thinks there is something different about theater. He was very happy to be in a large group of people. He would say "We're all here." All of us are here together.
The results have potential implications for the future.
"As parents, we can be intentional about not just exposing our children to art and giving them opportunities to build empathy, but exposing them to art that is made by groups different than us."
presenting diversity in the narratives brought to the stage is a critical responsibility of a theater We think about how to create positive change in the community when we think about our mission. It's a huge part of that.
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