“

Compathy


1. feelings, such as happiness or grief, shared with another or others
2. physical empahty”
— Dictionary.com and Morse, J.M., Mitcham, C. & van Der Steen, W.J. Journal of Medical Humanities (1998) 19: 51.

Research Findings

The following findings have been derived (using mixed methods) from 73 simulations and 238 questionnaires with three research groups comprising 90 participants.  For statistical integrity participants split into three groups: A Simulation Group, A non-Simulation Group and a Control Group.

2016,Yifat Davidoff, Team Based Simulations among Teacher Trainees: Dealing with Ethical Dilemmas in Cases of Bullying at School, Bar Ilan University

Effects of Simulation

The primary finding of the research is that Simulations (Role-Play) significantly increased the psychological empowerment of participants.
“The psychologically empowered state was considered to be a cognitive state characterized by a sense of perceived control, perceptions of competence, and internalization of the goals and objectives of the organization.
”
— Sanjay T Menon, Psychological empowerment: Definition, measurement, and validation, Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science 31(3):161-164 · July 1999 

The primary finding of the research is that Simulation (Role-Play) enhances the psychological empowerment of participants and that this manifests in:

  • Increased self-confidence to achieve goals

  • A heightened sense of control of the environment

  • Increased ability to cope effectively with ethical dilemmas

 

 

 

Findings in numbers

Psychological Empowerment

Statistical analysis (using mixed methods) of the data shows a significant increase in the Psychological Empowerment of Simulation Groups after one year. The non-Simulation Groups (only filled out questionnaires before and after discussion of the is…

Statistical analysis (using mixed methods) of the data shows a significant increase in the Psychological Empowerment of Simulation Groups after one year. The non-Simulation Groups (only filled out questionnaires before and after discussion of the issues) showed a significant reduction in psychological empowerment.

Impact of Simulations

Group discussion (without Simulated scenarios) did improve awareness of:The significance of ethical dilemmas in communicationsThe importance of team workThe importance of management supportThe importance of avoiding aggression and punishment

The Control Group in the research did not do simulations, but only had discussions on scenarios. The findings show that group discussions did help.

  • The significance of ethical dilemmas in communications

  • The importance of team work

  • The importance of management support

  • The importance of avoiding aggression and punishmen

Simulated (Role-Played) scenarios created a significantly expanded spectrum of understanding, including:EmpathyAwareness of how the discussion environment plays a roleImportance of the timing of a discussionBoundaries and egalitarian discourseThe va…

The Simulation Group role-played scenarios (having also had discussions prior to the simulations). This group emerged with a significantly expanded spectrum of understanding, including:

  • Empathy

  • Awareness of how the discussion environment plays a role

  • Importance of the timing of a discussion

  • Boundaries and egalitarian discourse

  • The value of exposing weaknesses to team mates

  • The holistic impact of family life

  • Find creative ways to maximise the strengths and weaknesses of colleagues

Research Conclusions

The use of Role-play in groups provides participants with "real life" operational strategies, derived from a sense of having had real experience.   Furthermore, this 'fabricated experience' has been proven to stay in the long-term memories of participants.  Increased psychological empowerment and heightened empathy were observed.

The use of Role-play in groups, provides participants with "real life" operational strategies, derived from a sense of having had real experience. Furthermore, this 'fabricated experience' has been proven to stay in the long term memories of partici…