TOT 76: Simulation Exercise

‘Weeping or crying exercise’

This exercise is suggested to be done in refresher courses and advanced mediation trainings

The participants/trainees must have practical experience of conducting at least fifty mediations.

Trainer’s preparation is very much required for this exercise.

1. Trainer has to give a very short written brief about the background and instruction 
2. Trainer to ask the participant to demonstrate the emotion or the feeling
3. Trainer has to give the brief note to the chosen participants on the previous day of conducting the exercise
4. Trainees are requested to read the narration and come on the stage when called upon, and cry or weep based on the background of the situation given in the slip given to them.

Example 

Participant 1

You have been asking your husband, who is a clerk in a bank, to get you a gold necklace. He is not bothered about it, and so you are weeping/crying in front of your husband.

Instruction: When you are called upon, in the aforesaid background, cry/ weep

Do not use any words.

Participant 2

You lost your mother three months ago. Your husband did not come to pay his last respects. Did not attend the rituals. You are crying or weeping in the presence of husband and the mediator.

Instruction: When you are called upon, in the aforesaid background, cry/ weep

Do not use any words.

Participant 3

You are a child aged 10 years. You are asking your father to get you a I -Phone worth 75,000/- and your father is not showing any interest.

You are crying in front of your father.

Instruction: When you are called upon, in the aforesaid background, cry 

Do not use any words.

Participant 4 

You are a widow. Your brother-in-law is asking you to get out of the house, which has been gifted to him by his brother who is your deceased husband.

Instruction: When you are called upon, in the aforesaid background, Weep 

Do not use any words.

Trainer can write several situations like this.

It is ideal to choose 5-6 participants and do this exercise.

After each participant is called on the stage, and he/she demonstrates the emotion or feeling, ask other participants to identify the reflected emotion in a single word.

Now show the brief note on the screen or read it, for the benefit of all the participants.

Example

You are a child aged 10 years. You are asking your father to get you an iPhone worth 75,000/- and your father is not showing any interest.

You are crying in front of your father.

Now ask other participants to identify the reflected emotion in a single word.

Ask the participant who has demonstrated – whether the emotion was properly identified or not.

Repeat the exercise with 4-5 more participants with different situations.

Objective 

Trainer can explain the connection between thoughts, feelings, emotions, reactions and responses.

How does one identify the emotion without knowing the background and with the help of background given by way of narrative?

Whether mediators have inculcated the technique of identifying the emotions?

Ask the participants who were chosen to do the exercise, to be very honest and answer the following questions:

1. Whether they had rehearsed?
2. Whether they had a thought in their mind that ‘ tomorrow I have to act very well’?

If they say “YES” – use this to introduce the following concepts to the trainees:

1. At times people do not express their true emotions, but reflect their rehearsed emotions, rehearsed with some hidden agenda.
2. Emotion is created by a thought- and emotion is preceded by a feeling.
3. Different people express their emotions differently. Some react and some respond.
4. Emotion needs to be understood in the background of the feeling of an individual.

Where does the mediator use this?

While doing restatement using the technique of reflection. The mediator tries to identify and reflect the emotion of the person speaking to the mediator. 

‘There will be a simulation to show how the project might look’

Barbara Perry

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(All Copyrights reserved by the author S.Susheela)