https://otter.ai/u/qUyhtS-TRdRCTb7gOM7vFGYUPOE?view=summary
Jodie Jenson discussed her busy schedule, including a thesis defense on October 27 and collaborative work on the double empathy problem. Edwin Rutsch shared updates on the Empathy Tent's success at a street fair in El Sobrante, highlighting its impact on community building. They explored the potential of starting an Empathy Center in Provo, Utah, and the benefits of using the Empathy Circle for conflict resolution. Jodie proposed creating a new empathy scale focusing on active listening and rational empathy. They considered various research methods, including using existing networks, recruiting diverse samples, and integrating the Empathy Circle into community mediation and conflict resolution efforts.
[ ] Jodie to meet with Garrett to discuss the measures used in the autism story slam event.
[ ] Jodie to talk to Greg about research ideas for studying the empathy circle process.
[ ] Jodie and Edwin to potentially collaborate on a grant proposal to fund research on the empathy circle process.
[ ] Jodie to explore recruiting participants for the empathy circle research from Jodie's local community, Edwin's existing empathy community, and Jodie's friend's organization focused on bridging divides.
Jodie Jenson shares that she was involved in a minor car accident, resulting in whiplash.
Jodie mentions her busy schedule due to an upcoming thesis defense on October 27.
She is also working on papers with Garrett Card, focusing on the double empathy problem between autistic and neurotypical people.
Jodie expresses her desire to focus more on empathy but is currently constrained by her thesis and other commitments.
Edwin Rutsch discusses his involvement in organizing a movement-building summit and an empathy tent at a street fair in El Sobrante, near Richmond.
The empathy tent offers listening services, and Edwin shares an example of a Palestinian woman who felt heard and grateful after sharing her experiences.
Jodie expresses interest in starting an empathy center chapter in Provo, Utah, and Edwin suggests the possibility of fundraising and starting a local empathy group.
Edwin mentions Lou's activities in Petaluma, including simple trainings and community events, and the success of the empathy tent in attracting people.
Jodie talks about the recent Charlie Kirk assassination incident and its impact on her community, expressing a desire to use empathy practices to help people process their emotions.
She mentions her friend's organization, Disagree Better, and her interest in collaborating on community outreach projects.
Jodie discusses the potential benefits of an empathy tent in her community, given the current animosity and polarization.
She highlights the challenge of balancing her research time with her family responsibilities and the value of practical empathy applications.
Jodie introduces her new empathy scale, which she calls the rational empathy scale, focusing on active listening and understanding others' perspectives.
She contrasts her scale with affective empathy scales, emphasizing the importance of not conflating listening with emotion contagion.
Edwin shares his familiarity with the Carhart and colleagues' empathy scale, which measures empathic responding in therapists.
Jodie and Edwin discuss the potential of using the Carhart scale in conjunction with her new scale to measure empathy levels in the empathy circle.
Jodie and Edwin explore the idea of using the empathy circle as a research method, measuring empathy levels before, during, and after the circle.
They discuss the benefits of a 360-degree evaluation, including self-report, speaker feedback, and observer ratings.
Jodie shares her experience with Garrett Carden's autism story slam, where participants rated their understanding of perspectives before and after the event.
They consider using the inclusion of the other in the self scale to measure feelings of connection and overlap in perspectives during the empathy circle.
Edwin introduces the concept of restorative empathy circles, which address conflicts by facilitating active listening and dialogue among participants.
He explains the process of identifying actions, exploring feelings, and negotiating resolutions in a group setting.
Jodie asks about the differences between restorative empathy circles and traditional mediation, and Edwin explains the role of facilitators and the community mediation process.
They discuss the potential for integrating restorative empathy circles into family therapy and other conflict resolution contexts.
Jodie outlines three options for participant recruitment: tapping into Edwin's existing network, conducting research at two different sites, or using a nationally representative sample.
She weighs the pros and cons of each option, considering factors like sample bias, logistics, and funding requirements.
Edwin suggests involving the empathy community board in brainstorming and planning the research design.
They consider the potential for recruiting participants from community groups and organizations, including those focused on bridging polarization.
Jodie proposes conducting a pilot round of both online and in-person empathy circles to gather feedback and determine the best approach.
They discuss the possibility of using student participants for simplicity and the potential limitations of a homogeneous sample.
Edwin shares resources for finding community groups and organizations that could participate in the research.
Jodie plans to discuss these ideas with her colleague Garrett and her advisor Greg, and they agree to reconvene in two weeks to finalize the research design.
Meeting assets for Edwin Rutsch's Personal Meeting Room are ready!
Meeting summary
Jodie shared updates about her recent car accident and discussed her academic work on developing a new empathy scale focused on active listening, while expressing interest in community outreach efforts like empathy tent events. Edwin provided information about various empathy measurement tools and scales, including the Kharkov Trucks scale, and discussed the concept of empathy circles for measuring and promoting empathy. Jodie and Edwin explored potential research approaches for empathy circles, including data collection methods and community engagement strategies, with plans to continue their discussion in future meetings.
Jodie: Focus on her thesis defense preparation for October 27th
Jodie: Complete her thesis defense before re-engaging with empathic AI research
Edwin: Continue organizing the regular summit in November and the movement-building summit
Jodie: Send Edwin her rational empathy scale for feedback before validation
Edwin: Provide feedback on Jodie's rational empathy scale when received
Jodie: Continue working on papers with Garrett Cardin about the double empathy problem
Jodie: Ask Garrett about the specific questions he used in his autism story slam event
Jodie: Consider starting an empathy center chapter in Provo, Utah
Jodie: Consider organizing an empathy tent in her community to help people process their experiences
Jodie shared that she was involved in a car accident and is currently dealing with the aftermath, including whiplash and migraines, while also preparing for her thesis defense. Edwin discussed his recent activities, including organizing a movement-building summit and participating in a street fair event with an empathy tent where people shared personal experiences. Jodie expressed interest in potentially setting up a similar empathy tent event in her community, Utah, particularly in light of recent tensions following the Charlie Kirk assassination, and mentioned a desire to connect with a local organization called Disagree Better.
Jodie discussed her academic work on empathy, particularly her development of a new empathy scale focused on active listening rather than emotional contagion, which she plans to share with Edwin for feedback. She expressed interest in contributing to community outreach efforts like an empathy tent but faces challenges balancing these activities with her academic and family commitments.
Edwin shared a link to a document containing various empathy measurement tools, including the Kharkov Trucks scale, which was developed based on Rogers' work and measures empathy on a 5-point scale. He explained that the scale assesses different levels of empathic responding, from therapists being completely unaware of clients' feelings to accurately reflecting emotional nuances. Jodie expressed interest in the scale and noted that it was surprising to learn that therapists themselves may not always demonstrate high levels of empathy, as she had assumed they would be among the most empathetic individuals.
Jodie and Edwin discussed the development of a self-report empathy measure and explored methods to assess empathy within the context of empathy circles. They considered using a combination of self-report scales, observer ratings, and real-time feedback tools to measure empathy levels before, during, and after the circles. Edwin suggested incorporating questions that gauge emotional depth and understanding of underlying needs, while Jodie proposed using a visual scale to assess connection and perspective overlap. They agreed on the importance of minimizing disruptions to the circle's flow and emphasized the potential for participants to learn and grow from their experiences.
Edwin and Jodie discussed the potential of integrating empathy research with AI, highlighting its dual application for data gathering and training purposes. Jodie expressed hesitation about engaging further in AI-related empathy work due to her focus on completing her thesis, which is currently centered on sports character development. They agreed on the importance of aligning such research with broader goals, like measuring the empathy circle to popularize its practice. Jodie mentioned plans to meet with Greg to discuss research ideas and assess time commitments, while also considering whether her current dissertation could be revised or replaced with this new research focus.
Edwin explained the concept of empathy circles, which measure individual, group, and holistic empathy levels, and described a restorative circle process for conflict resolution. Jodie inquired about the effectiveness of the conflict resolution empathy circle and its differences from traditional mediation. Edwin suggested starting with basic empathy circles and building from there, emphasizing the restorative circle's focus on active listening and creating tangible action plans. He also discussed the potential for restorative circles to be used professionally, such as in court systems, though currently, they are more prevalent on a volunteer or non-profit basis.
Jodie and Edwin discussed the potential for research on empathy circles, exploring different approaches to gather data. Jodie considered using her existing network, recruiting participants locally, or obtaining a nationally representative sample, each with its pros and cons. They agreed on the importance of addressing community polarization and the need for empirical evidence on empathy circles' effectiveness. Jodie planned to consult with Greg and present her ideas to Edwin's board for further input. They also discussed the possibility of conducting pilot studies with both online and in-person participants to determine the most effective approach.
Edwin shared examples of empathy circles, including Lou's community model and a Restorative Empathy Circle case involving Extinction Rebellion in Santa Cruz. Jodie suggested tapping into existing community groups and potentially recruiting participants through these connections. They discussed the possibility of offering incentives like payment for participation in research studies. Jodie mentioned she would meet with Garrett to discuss measures used in a story slam and talk to Greg about some ideas, with plans to continue their discussion in two weeks.