Date of Award

Spring 2025

Thesis Type

Open Access

Degree Name

Honors Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology

Sponsor

Dr. Paul Harris

Committee Member

Dr. Rachelle Yankelevitz

Committee Member

Dr. David Charles

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to address a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between theatre and empathy; specifically, investigating how varying levels of participation in theatre may influence cognitive and affective empathy. This study examines whether empathy can be fostered through mere observation of theatre or whether active participation yields greater effects. Twenty-eight undergraduate participants, all of whom attend a small liberal arts college in the United States, either participated in three theatre games or observed their fellow participants playing them. The results did not support the primary hypotheses, as most empathy-related measures showed no statistically significant changes. The only variable to produce a significant result was that participants agreed they remembered details provided to them after the intervention. Despite this, there was no reported increase in concern for others' thoughts, and participants scored lower than the pretest on the Self-Empathy Questionnaire (SEQ), suggesting a potential decrease in empathy. The results help to highlight the importance of preventing cognitive overload, the structure of the theatre games themselves, and the duration of the intervention. The study emphasizes the need for future research to refine intervention design and duration to effectively measure the relationship between theatre and empathy.

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