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Group Size: Any (no more than 15 volunteers)
Time Needed: 20 minutes
Goal: To create awareness of how labels affect people, to understand self-fulfilling prophecy, and to grasp how self esteem is built and destroyed
Audience: Couples, Parents, Singles, Teens, Children
Special Considerations: Wait until the group has met several times before you complete this exercise. Consider the education levels of your participants. This activity can bring up challenging family of origin issues and may be difficult for those with low self-esteem. If someone in your class has self esteem issues, ensure they receive a positive label (see instruction #1). You will need to make your “labels” before class.
Resources Needed:

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Before class, make one label per participant on paper or index cards (sized to fit on the cardboard strips). Use a dark colored marker. Lay all the labels out upside down and put masking tape on the backside of each one. Put a few positive labels in a certain place so you can grab one for any participants with low self esteem. See Suggested Labels.
  2. Give each participant a strip of cardboard and a piece of masking tape. Have participants wrap cardboard strip around their heads (going across the forehead) and hold the spot where it fits comfortably. Next, tell them to pull it off and secure the spot with the tape. Now they should place the cardboard strips back on their heads. They should all look like they are wearing funny headbands.
  3. Have participants arrange their chairs in a tight circle. They need to be close enough to read the labels on other participants’ "headbands."
  4. Read the story found or summarize it in your own words.
  5. Place labels on participants’ headbands and give the group 10 minutes to discuss the situation you presented. At first, observe. If the group is moving slowly, join in to get things going. Start by looking directly at the person labeled "Natural Leader" and say something like, "We are looking to you to see what you think we should do." Whatever idea he or she presents, support it and tell the group they should, too. If the person with the "Invisible" label says anything, you must persuade the group to ignore it. You may want to say something like, "Did you hear something? I thought I did but I guess not." Sometimes your participation in this activity is vital to make it work, other times groups will run with it and it is better to observe.
  6. After the group has had several minutes of discussion, break in and ask them to each state one idea on how to spend the money. Be sure that you and the rest of the group respond to each person based on his or her "label." After each person contributes, have them guess what their label is.

Tips for Discussion and Processing

Many participants report being deeply affected by this activity. This exercise can be a wonderful example of a self-fulfilling prophecy and how it can destroy a relationship. For example, if I believe my husband is lazy, I will start seeking proof that my belief is true. At the same time, I may overlook any proof that he is actually productive. This exercise also leads to discussions about the importance of self esteem and how damaging labels can be to children. It can be used to talk about why parents sometimes label their children and why it is so important for parents to enjoy the many different aspects of their child’s personality. See Questions for the Group.

With two facilitators, one can put labels on participants’ heads and explain the exercise while the other actively participates in the group. The facilitator who is participating should focus on encouraging the group while the other carefully observes participants’ reactions.

Note: These activities can be modified to reflect a variety of skills.