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Learning Typ Time Activitie Materials Assessmen

Outcomes e s t
 Examine In-  30 min  Reading  Slides;  Basic
own cultural class (lecture slides;  Handout. Empathy;
groups; and  Class
activity) activity;  Attitudes
 Respect other
cultural  Class towards AIDS
discussion. victims;
norms;
Take  20  Activity.  Handout.
home minutes  Attitudes
 Gain an (handout)
outsider’s towards
homeless
perspective.
people.

All materials for this module are available online at:

https://www.purdue.edu/pip/about/pip-educational-resources.html

Small World: Big Identities

“Six Degrees of Separation” (Milgram, 1967)
Description
This in-class activity, based on Milgram’s small-world experiment, encourages students
to see how closely we interact with others with dissimilar identities. It is adapted from Milgram’s
(1963) original sociological experiment, which showed that any pair of individuals in the world
can be connected to each other by a short sequence of acquaintances (ordinarily around six). This
experiment allows students to check the level of distance between themselves and others with
minority or hidden social identities. Research shows that activities inducing empathy for a
member of a stigmatized group can improve attitudes towards the group as a whole (Batson et
al., 1997) and is also associated with more positive attitudes toward other stigmatized groups
(Tarrant & Hadert, 2010, p.1651). Students typically find that the level of distance is lower than
initially predicted, which can help to open a conversation on diversity and identity, reduce
outgroup prejudices, and pave the way for greater empathy for hidden diversity otherwise
assumed to be non-present.

Instructions
 Note for instructor: Before beginning discussion on sensitive topics like identity, diversity,
and inclusion, it can be helpful to set ground rules for the class. Consider prepping the class
by acknowledging that we all have limited understanding regarding the lived experiences of
others. Note that the discussion should be open and inclusive and that you welcome
feedback. Acknowledge that potential missteps may be made. Because students will be
interacting with each other regarding potentially sensitive topics, encourage them to also

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adopt a forgiving attitude for the class period and be both willing to make mistakes and to be
corrected. In the event of a misstep, remind students that acknowledgement statements like,
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to offend. How should I have said that?” can be very useful.
 Prior to class:
o This version of the instructions assume that you have chosen to administer the
worksheet in Appendix A to students in class. We recommend you assign the activity
in advance so as to maximize the impact on students, in which case you should use
the Take Home version of the instructions, slides, and worksheet.
o Students will still need to complete the links below before class.
o Basic Empathy Scale:
https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6Vei0w1E2Mg6JLf
Attitudes toward AIDS victims: https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?
SID=SV_6D3sZbVVjHXBdsh
Attitudes towards the homeless: https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?
SID=SV_1HBZwBSBUwxkQMl
 Instructor Note: Although Appendix D and Appendix E are about attitudes
towards AIDS victims and the homeless, they can easily be adapted to
measure attitudes towards other groups as well.
 Instructor Note: Instructors should not mention why students need to fill out
the questionnaire.
 Lecture
o Introduce Stanley Milgram and his experiment on obedience to authority (1963).
 Tell students about another experiment called the Small World experiment that
Milgram conducted and the application of the experience through “Six
Degrees of Kevin Bacon”.
 Go over the results of Stanley Milgram’s experiment with the class.
 Instruct Students to Complete Worksheet in Class
o Assign students to record estimated distance from themselves (0-2) to other
individuals in their lives with the mentioned identities. Students should complete this
step without talking.
o Assign students to work in pairs to record estimated distances from each other for 5-8
minutes (Slide 12). Encourage students to work with others who have different
cultural, identity, or other kind of backgrounds.
 Warning: Ensure that students are not assuming that someone may have a
different background based on external cues (race, gender, etc.). This can be
prevented by inviting students who believe they possess a unique background
they’d like to discuss to raise their hands so that other students know who to
pair up with.
 Group Discussion
o Assign students to groups, and have them discuss the findings of their worksheet.
Students should discuss the results of the three questions presented in Slide 13.

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 Class Discussion
o Lead students in a discussion of the findings from the activity using the questions
found in Slides 14-16). Observe that these questions are not the questions in the
group discussion, but instead expand on them.
 Note: Remind students not to disclose the identities of others they
interviewed.
 Note: Inform students to not disclose information about themselves if they
aren’t comfortable.
 Finish Lecture
 Introduce discussion of the effects of stigma and how attitudes toward stigma might be
changed (Slides 18-20).
 Introduce statistics of Purdue’s international student population.
 Introduce statistics of students who have felt unsafe on campus due to their race.
 Have students pair up to discuss the visibility of various identities (Slide 27). Preface this
discussion with the ground rules for safe interactions (Slide 26).
 Ask students to participate in an icebreaking activity in pairs. Have them tell each other
one identity about them that defines them. Explain how this interaction is meant to be
different from the typical get-to-know-you which focuses on hobbies or abstract things.
Example questions are found on Slide 29.
 Ask one pair of students to discuss their interactions using the questions on slide 30.
 Before closing, encourage students to think about the following: How many times
interact with people on campus or at an event with different identities? How can you
improve your attitude? The more you interact, the more you are able to change. This is
important when you deal with female vs. male, domestic vs. international. Especially
when you are a part of a club. (These questions may be referenced in the notes of Slide
30).
 Send the following links out to your students via email. (20 minutes total)
Basic Empathy Scale:
https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3yIKnalY5H9SdLv
Attitudes toward AIDS victims:
https://purdue.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_er1UuUv2NXcyjiZ
Attitudes towards the homeless: https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?
SID=SV_5bWQGIO7q1rZoXz
Demographics:
https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8kbfVT5kmRNKMKh

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Reference Source(s)
Batson, C. D., Polycarpou, M. P., Harmon-Jones, E., Imhoff, H. J., Mitchener, E. C., Bednar, L.
L., … Highberger, L. (1997). Empathy and attitudes: Can feeling for a member of a
stigmatized group improve feelings toward the group? Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 72(1), 105–118. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.105
Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. The Journal of Abnormal and Social
Psychology, 67(4), 371–378. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/abn/67/4/371/
Tarrant, M., & Hadert, A. (2010). Empathic Experience and Attitudes Toward Stigmatized
Groups: Evidence for Attitude Generalization. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 40(7),
1635–1656. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00633.x

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Appendix A
Student Worksheet In-Class Version
Name: _________________________________________ Section: ________________

Identity Islands: Charting Your Personal Diversity Landscape

Instruction sections for students

You will talk to others in the classroom to determine how close you are to individuals with the listed
identities. Because you will be speaking with other students, feel free not to disclose information that
you may find sensitive.
1. First, before talking with anyone, estimate the degree of separation you think will exist between you
and they types of individuals listed in the table below (see instructions below).
 0= self: If you have the identity status yourself, enter "0".
 1=someone you know: If you personally know an individual that holds the described identity,
write “1.”
 2=friend of friend: If not, you will ask your classmates to tell you whether or not they know
someone personally who has the identity. If they do, write “2”. Let them know they need not tell
you who the person is (in order to protect that person’s confidentiality).
2. Next, add the total estimated and confirmed degrees after you complete the activity.
3. Write down the relationship between you and the individuals in the listed identities. To protect
privacy, avoid using individuals’ names, and instead write the nature of the relationship (see
example).
Identity Estimated Degree Confirmed Degree Relationship
Example: Smoker 1 1 Family member

Gay, lesbian, bisexual,

transgender, or queer
Schizophrenia
Physical disability
Depression
Biracial
Anxiety
Eating disorder
Veteran
Muslim or Hindu
Alcohol or drug
addiction
Debt greater than
$1,000
Homeless (past or
present)
Has HIV or AIDS
Total Degrees Estimated # Confirmed #
________ ________

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Appendix B
Slides Preview

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Appendix C
Questionnaire 1: Basic Empathy Scale

Instructor Note: The Basic Empathy Scale (BES) is a tool that has been used to assess empathy in young people
and adolescents on the basis of this dual-component conception (Carre et al., 2013, p.679). In the model, nine items
assess cognitive empathy (Items 3, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, 20), and 11 items assess affective empathy (Items 1, 2, 4,
5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18) (Carre et al., 2013, p.682). Add your scores for each question but subtract each of your
answers from questions 1,7,8,13,18,19 from 5 before adding them to your final score as well. Your scores will range
from 20-100 indicating how high you are on the empathy scale.

Carré, A., Stefaniak, N., DʼAmbrosio, F., Bensalah, L., & Besche-Richard, C. (2013). The basic empathy scale in
adults (BES-A): factor structure of a revised form. Psychological assessment, 25(3), 679-691. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23815121

Name: _________________________________________ Section: ________________

Rate each statement on a 5­point scale (1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither Agree nor Disagree, 4 = 
Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree).

No. Statement 1 2 3 4 5
1 My friends’ emotions don’t 
affect me much.
2 After being with a friend who is 
sad about something, I usually 
feel sad.
3 I can understand my friend’s 
happiness when she/he does well
at something.
4 I get frightened when I watch 
characters in a good scary movie.
5 I get caught up in other people’s 
feelings easily.
6 I find it hard to know when my 
friends are frightened. 
7 I don’t become sad when I see 
other people crying.
8 Other people’s feelings don’t 
bother me at all.
9 When someone is feeling ‘down’
I can usually understand how he 
or she feel.
10 I can usually work out when my 
friends are scared. 

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11 I often become sad when 
watching sad things on TV or in 
films. 
12 I can often understand how 
people are feeling even before 
they tell me.
13 Seeing a person who has been 
angered has no effect on my 
feelings.
14 I can usually work out when 
people are cheerful.
15 I tend to feel scared when I am 
with friends who are afraid.
16 I can usually realize quickly 
when a friend is angry.
17 I often get swept up in my 
friends’ feelings.
18 My friend’s unhappiness doesn’t 
make me feel anything.
19 I am not usually aware of my 
friends’ feelings.
20 I have trouble figuring out when 
my friends are happy.

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Appendix D
Questionnaire 2: Attitude Questionnaire: AIDS Victims
Note for Instructors: Research has shown that seeing the world from the perspective of a stigmatized group
member can lead people to feel increased empathy for that person and a generalized empathic feelings toward the
stigmatized group (Batson et al., 1997, p. 105). This questionnaire assesses participants’ attitudes toward people with
AIDS.

Scores are calculated by adding up all the scores from question 1-7 then divide by 9. Item 1 and 2 were reversed in
scoring. For the rest, larger numbers indicated a more positive attitude (Batson et al., 1997, p.109). Analysis showed
the manipulation increased self-reported empathic feelings and AIDS (Batson et al., 1997, p.110). This activity can
also be used to measure positive attitudes towards other hidden social identities.

Batson, C. D., Polycarpou, M. P., Harmon-Jones, E., Imhoff, H. J., Mitchener, E. C., Bednar, L. L., Klein, T. R., et
al. (1997). Empathy and attitudes: can feeling for a member of a stigmatized group improve feelings toward
the group? Journal of personality and social psychology, 72(1), 107-111.

Name: _________________________________________ Section: ________________

Circle the answer that best reflects your feelings regarding each of the items below.

1. For most people with AIDS, it is their own fault that they have AIDS. (1 = strongly disagree, 9 -
strongly agree)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

2. Most people with AIDS could have avoided contracting the disease. (1 = strongly disagree, 9 =
strongly agree)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

3. How much do you personally care about the plight of people with AIDS? (1 = not at all, 9 =
very much)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

4. Our society does not do enough to help people with AIDS. (1 = strongly disagree, 9 = strongly
agree)

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

5. Compared with other social problems we face today (e.g., crime, education, drugs,
homelessness, environmental protection, energy conservation), how would you rate the
importance of helping people with AIDS? (1 = not at all important, 9 = extremely important)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

6. Our society should do more to protect the welfare of people with AIDS. (1 = strongly disagree,
9 = strongly agree)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

7. In general, what are your feelings toward people with AIDS? (1 = extremely negative, 9 =
extremely positive)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

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Appendix E
Questionnaire 3: Attitude Questionnaire: Homeless People

Batson,
Note forC.Instructors:
D., Polycarpou, M.the
Seeing P., world
Harmon-Jones, E., Imhoff, H.
from the perspective of aJ.,stigmatized
Mitchener,groupE. C., member,
Bednar, L. L., Klein,
people can beT.led
R., to
et
al. (1997). Empathy and attitudes: can feeling for a member of a stigmatized group improve
feel for this person and generalize empathic feelings toward that stigmatized group. This post questionnaire assessed feelings toward
the group?
participant’s attitudesJournal
towardofthe
personality
homeless.and social
Scores arepsychology,
calculated by 72(1),
adding111-113.
up all the scores from questions 1-9 then
divide by 9. Negative worded items were reversed in scoring. For the rest, larger numbers indicated a more positive
attitude
Name: (Batson et al., 1997, p.111). Research showed inducing empathy for a homeless
_________________________________________ Section:person led to more positive
________________
feelings toward that individual, which led to more positive attitudes toward
Circle the answer that best reflects your feelings regarding each of the items below. the homeless group (Batson et al., 1997,
p.113). This activity can also be used to measure positive attitudes towards other hidden social identities.
1. For most homeless people, it is their own fault that they are homeless. (1 = strongly disagree, 9 -
strongly agree)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

2. Most homeless people just don’t want to work. (1 = strongly disagree, 9 - strongly agree)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

3. How much do you personally care about the plight of homeless people? (1 = not at all, 9 = very
much)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

4. Our society does not do enough to help homeless people. (1 = strongly disagree, 9 = strongly
agree)

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

5. Compared with other social problems we face today (e.g., crime, education, drugs,
environmental protection, energy conservation), how would you rate the importance of helping
homeless people? (1 = not at all important, 9 = extremely important)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

6. Our society should do more to protect the welfare of homeless people. (1 = strongly disagree, 9 =
strongly agree)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

7. In general, what are your feelings toward homeless people? (1 = extremely negative, 9 —
extremely positive)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

8. Most homeless people could get a job and get off the streets if they wanted to. (1 = strongly
disagree, 9 - strongly agree)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

9. Most homeless people choose to live that way. (1 = strongly disagree, 9 - strongly agree)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

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