Intersection of Empathy and Adventure Programming

Abstract

The world is full of conflicts and divisions between groups and subcultures. In America, bullying, domestic violence, exploitation, and attitudes of entitlement are on the rise. We are also experiencing a crisis of displaced people combined with increasing negative attitudes towards a subset of displaced people, refugees. Individuals and organizations desire to mitigate these negative attitudes and behaviors by activating empathy in people through various methods and programs. The data suggests that there are programs that generate emotional responses congruent with empathy. More than ever, programs are needed to generate these types of emotional responses. Adventure education may offer a unique avenue for exploring such programs because of the nature of group dynamics that are inherent in such programs. Still, there is a gap in our understanding of what methods produce long-term, transformational learning resulting in sustained empathetic action toward people. This study identified a correlation between empathy and student’s participation in an adventure education program. Comparing the results to a traditional classroom experience offered insights into effective methods for activating the positive aspects of empathy in people.