Deeper engagement with live theater increases middle school students’ empathy and social perspective taking

Abstract

Building on research showing social-emotional benefits from a single live theater performance, this study tests for significant differences in pre to post social-cognitive outcomes among a racially and economically diverse sample of young audiences who attended the same theater performance with or without additional pre- and post-show educational experiences. We extend previous work by experimentally manipulating and testing a common artistic educational intervention: deeper engagement strategies including facilitated discussions and pre-performance guides. We also refine previous investigations into generalized social and emotional skills by specifically examining foundational social-cognitive abilities: social perspective taking and empathy. This study utilizes a pre-post design with randomized control and treatment groups. Several significant findings suggest that when paired with educational pre- and post-show experiences, students’ social perspective taking and empathy can be positively impacted through a single live theater performance.