We want to create an academic study of how the Empathy Circle, as developed by Edwin Rutsch, can help resolve polarization between democrats and republicans. Give me a plan on how set up this academic study.  This will be a PhD project for a student at Brigham Young University (BYU). Include URL links to any organizations or references mentioned.

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Research Plan: Empathy Circle as an Intervention for Political Polarization

A PhD Dissertation Study at Brigham Young University

This is an excellent dissertation topic that combines practical peacebuilding with rigorous social science research. Here's a comprehensive plan:

1. Background Research & Literature Review

Key areas to cover:

• Edwin Rutsch's Empathy Circle methodology and the Culture of Empathy project

• Political polarization literature (affective polarization, moral foundations theory, social identity theory)

• Dialogue-based interventions (deliberative democracy, intergroup contact theory)

• Empathy research in political contexts

Essential resources:

• Culture of Empathy website: http://cultureofempathy.com

• Edwin Rutsch's work on Empathy Circles: http://empathycircle.com

• BYU's Wheatley Institution for research on families and communities: https://wheatley.byu.edu
  
  

2. Research Design

Recommended approach: Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) or Quasi-Experimental Design

Sample size: 120-200 participants (60-100 per condition for adequate statistical power)

Participant recruitment:

• Equal numbers of self-identified Democrats and Republicans

• BYU students, Utah County residents, or national sample via online platforms

• Screen for moderate to high levels of political engagement

• Exclude political science majors or those with dialogue training

Study conditions:

• Treatment group: Participates in Empathy Circle sessions

• Control group: Either waitlist control or active control (general discussion without Empathy Circle structure)
  
  

3. Empathy Circle Intervention Protocol

Structure:

• 4-6 sessions over 4-8 weeks (meeting weekly)

• 60-90 minutes per session

• Groups of 4-6 participants (mixed partisan composition)

• Trained facilitators using Edwin Rutsch's methodology

Empathy Circle process:

1. One person speaks as the "speaker"

2. Another person serves as the "active listener" who reflects back what they heard

3. Speaker confirms if they feel heard ("Did I hear you correctly?")

4. Roles rotate around the circle

Topics for discussion:

• Session 1: Personal values and life experiences

• Session 2: Political identity formation

• Sessions 3-4: Contested political issues (immigration, healthcare, etc.)

• Sessions 5-6: Finding common ground and action steps
  
  

4. Measurement & Assessment

Primary outcomes (measured pre, post, and 3-month follow-up):

Affective polarization:

• Feeling thermometer ratings of opposite party

• Social distance measures

• Trait ratings of typical Democrat/Republican

Empathy:

• Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)

• Political empathy scales

• Perspective-taking measures specific to political opponents

Dialogue quality:

• Willingness to engage across difference

• Perceived understanding of opposing views

• Attitude complexity measures

Secondary outcomes:

• Political tolerance

• Intergroup anxiety

• Moral foundations profiles

• Support for democratic norms

Process measures:

• Session attendance and engagement

• Facilitator fidelity to Empathy Circle protocol

• Participant reflections (qualitative)
  
  

5. Qualitative Component

Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews with 20-30 participants post-intervention

• Focus groups with mixed-party participants

• Participant journals or reflection logs

• Analysis of session recordings (with consent)

Research questions:

• How do participants experience the Empathy Circle process?

• What mechanisms facilitate or hinder empathy development?

• How do participants navigate moral disagreements?

• What barriers prevent attitude change?
  
  

6. Implementation Considerations

IRB approval:

• BYU Office of Research & Creative Activities: https://orca.byu.edu

• Address informed consent, confidentiality, and potential distress

Facilitator training:

• Partner with Edwin Rutsch or certified Empathy Circle trainers

• Ensure fidelity to methodology

• Develop training manual and supervision protocol

Logistics:

• On-campus meeting spaces or Zoom for online format

• Incentivize participation ($50-100 or course credit)

• Address attrition through reminder systems and flexible scheduling
  
  

7. Data Analysis Plan

Quantitative:

• Mixed-model ANOVAs for pre-post-follow-up comparisons

• Mediation analyses (does empathy mediate polarization reduction?)

• Moderation analyses (who benefits most? Initial polarization levels, moral foundations profiles)

Qualitative:

• Thematic analysis using NVivo or Atlas.ti

• Grounded theory approach to identify mechanisms

• Integration with quantitative findings (mixed methods)
  
  

8. Potential Challenges & Solutions

Challenge: High attrition in multi-session studies Solution: Build community through social events, flexible makeup sessions, meaningful incentives

Challenge: Self-selection bias (people who volunteer may already be less polarized) Solution: Use propensity score matching, measure baseline openness, recruit through diverse channels

Challenge: Context effects (BYU is predominantly conservative) Solution: Acknowledge limitations, consider national online sample as comparison

Challenge: Demand characteristics (participants want to appear less biased) Solution: Include implicit measures, behavioral outcomes, third-party ratings

9. Theoretical Contributions

This study could contribute to:

• Contact theory: Testing structured intergroup contact in political domain

• Empathy research: Examining trainability of political empathy

• Dialogue methodology: Comparing Empathy Circle to other approaches

• Polarization interventions: Evidence-based approach to depolarization
  
  

10. Practical Applications

Outputs:

• Peer-reviewed publications in Political Psychology, Journal of Conflict Resolution, or American Political Science Review

• Training materials for community organizations

• Policy recommendations for civic education

• Workshops with Utah's National Institute for Civil Discourse chapter

Partnerships:

• Better Angels: https://braver-angels.org

• The Village Square: https://villagesquare.us

• BYU's Institute for Studies of Religion: https://isr.byu.edu
  
  

11. Timeline (4-year PhD trajectory)

1. Year 1: 

   1. 1. Literature review, 

      2. IRB approval, 

      3. measure development, 

      4. pilot testing 

2. Year 2: 

   1. 1. Recruitment,

      2.  intervention delivery,

      3.  data collection 

3. Year 3: 

   1. 1. Data analysis, 

      2. qualitative interviews, 

      3. initial manuscript writing

4.  Year 4: 

   1. 1. Additional analyses, 

      2. dissertation writing, 

      3. defense, 

      4. publication submissions
         
         

12. Funding Opportunities

• BYU Experiential Learning Grants

• BYU Office of Research & Creative Activities Mentoring Environment Grants

• National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants

• Society for Personality and Social Psychology Dissertation Research Award
  
  
  

This study would make a significant contribution to understanding how structured empathy practices can address one of America's most pressing challenges—political polarization. The combination of rigorous experimental design with the practical wisdom of the Empathy Circle methodology positions this as both scientifically valuable and socially impactful research.