Empathy Bingo Exercise

Subgroup Size

Pairs

Duration

20 minutes

External Cost

No

Source

Sorro, S. (2008). Empathy bingo exercise. The Transformer: Quarterly Newsletter -- Archive, Alternatives to Violence Project USA.  http://www.thetransformer.us/fall2008/W-EmpathyBingoExercise.pdf

This activity could be played as bingo or just used a discussion. It could be enhanced by individual reflection and/or group discussion about how people feel when they are given some of the non-empathetic reactions and/or their own response patterns and why they tend toward them. 

If all participants use the same sheets, the facilitator can choose to debrief all together at the end; however, if all participants have different sheets, the facilitator should debrief item by item. 

The facilitator can create a variation of this activity by adding an extra component that asks participants to re-frame or re-phrase the non-empathetic response to one that is more appropriate for advanced intercultural communicators. 

For additional bingo sheets, bingo card generators are available online.