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.
https://gemini.google.com/share/1354d2a0cdd2
The deepening fissure of affective polarization in the United States—characterized by a growing tendency of partisans to view their political opponents with dislike, distrust, and moral contempt—poses a fundamental threat to democratic stability. While political science has rigorously mapped the contours of this divide, empirically validated interventions for reducing intergroup animosity remain scarce. This research proposal outlines a comprehensive doctoral dissertation project designed to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of the "Empathy Circle," a structured dialogue method developed by Edwin Rutsch and the Center for Building a Culture of Empathy. Situated within the academic and social environment of Brigham Young University (BYU), this study leverages the institution’s unique focus on peacebuilding and conflict resolution to test whether strict adherence to a protocol of "active reflective listening" can moderate partisan animosity.
The project proposes a multi-study experimental design utilizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to isolate the mechanism of the Empathy Circle against unstructured contact and control conditions. By integrating rigorous psychometric assessments of affective polarization, intellectual humility, and intergroup empathy with advanced dyadic data analysis (Actor-Partner Interdependence Models) and multilevel modeling, this research seeks to provide the first exhaustive academic validation of the Empathy Circle protocol. The study further investigates the role of "Intellectual Humility" as a mediator and explores the potential for "ideological asymmetry" in empathy responses. The findings aim to bridge the gap between practitioner-led dialogue interventions and political psychology theory, offering scalable, data-driven solutions for a polarized citizenry.
This project stands to make a seminal contribution to political psychology. While "empathy" is often touted as a panacea for polarization, few studies have rigorously tested how to generate it in a hostile environment using a replicable, scalable protocol. By isolating the "reflection" mechanism of the Empathy Circle, this study moves beyond vague calls for "civility" to an engineered, evidence-based social technology. It addresses the critical "mechanism" gap in the literature: we know contact can work, but we do not fully understand the cognitive micro-processes that make it work in polarized settings.
If successful, this research provides a validated toolkit for universities, churches, and civic organizations. For BYU specifically, it aligns with the "Peacemaker" initiative and the mission of the CPCR, offering a data-backed method to fulfill the university’s spiritual and social mission. The Empathy Circle could become a standard module in American Heritage or Political Science courses, actively "inoculating" students against the toxic effects of affective polarization.
Furthermore, the study opens the door for future longitudinal research—as suggested by Rutsch and Jenson —to see if these effects persist over months or years. Can the "empathy muscle" be strengthened to the point where it changes how a citizen engages with all political media, not just the person in the room? This project is the first step toward answering that vital question.