The star power game

The top scorers are red squares, in the middle are blue circles, and the low scorers are green triangles. Second turn: the red squares players draw from a bag of higher scoring chips, which the green triangles draw from a bag of.

As a result, movement between groups is uncommon. The game is designed to illustrate the behavior of human beings in a system that naturally stratifies them economically or politically. StarPower teaches to change behavior, it may be necessary to change the system in which that behavior occurs. Power is like fire, it can be used to help make the world a better place to live or it can be terribly destructive.

In any system, there needs to be checks on power. The online system automates scoring and assignment to groups. For those who have facilitated StarPower, the key changes are: The mechanism of earning points is answering questions rather than trading tokens Players can be promoted to the middle group as well as the top group There are no actual rule changes during the last round Contact Christy Byrd for access to the online system.

Before your event, Dr. This will take you to the administration dashboard. The dashboard will walk you through the game, but here is brief summary of the process: During the opening round, players will answer math questions for 5 minutes.

They will receive 1 point for each correct answer. At the end of the opening round, players are assigned to one of three groups Prime, Rational, and Imaginary based on score. Between each round, there is a bonus round where each group is given 10 points to assign among their group members. Move participants into separate breakout rooms so they can discuss the distribution of their bonus points.

After the opening round, individuals in the Prime group receive 2 points for correct answers whereas Rational and Imaginary group members receive 1 point. Additionally, Imaginary group members lose 1 point for each wrong answer. The first two rounds are very sociable. People are laughing, talking, and having a good time exchanging chips. Then the wealthiest group gains power. Barriers spring up between the various levels of the society. Communication gets strained. The group that has the power often tries to protect their power through illegitimate means.

The others respond by giving up, organizing, or overthrowing the power group. After the simulation winds down, participants discuss power in safe, yet revealing, ways. For instance a facilitator concerned with improving relations between two racial groups, between employers and employees, or between men and women, might discuss the parallels between the powerlessness felt in situations created in the simulation. Generally however, groups need to discuss the simulation in personal terms of "who did what to whom", before going on to the issues involved.

This can be an important experience in interpersonal relationships, helping members of the groups to understand their reactions to authority, competitive situations, etc. Consequently, many of our efforts to improve relations between races, different factions of the community, and improve morale in businesses are doomed to failure if we also don't try to change the social system in which they operate.

Each of us may be more vulnerable to the temptation to abuse power than we realize? Before the simulation, most players would agree with the statement of Lord Acton who said, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely".

But after the simulation, they assert their belief with a new respect for its validity. At least the Circles and Triangles do. The Squares sometimes have a hard time admitting that they abused their power or that they enjoyed exercising it. The Circles and Triangles are generally quick to point out instances where the Squares did not treat them fairly such as arbitrarily rejecting proposals by the Circles and Triangles, claiming special privileges, restricting the right of the Circles and Triangles and so on.

Also, such non-verbal behavior as pulling their chairs close together, laughing devilishly and being unusually animated as they made their rules, would seem to suggest that perhaps they enjoyed it. And that, of course is the point. The reason power is corrupting is that it is intensely satisfying, makes one feel supremely important and creates an insatiable desire for more power.

Few people can resist its influence. If this is so, then the clear implication is that we must not only try to avoid abusing power ourselves, but also guard against its abuse in politics, business, schools, families and in on-to-one relationships with others. The idea that power corrupts as well as the other ideas which are listed below are often known by the participants before they participate in the simulation. Yet, when participants of all ages and sophistication are asked to place a value on what they learned from participating in StarPower , they consistently report that it was "very important" to them.

In looking into this seeming contradiction of participants placing value on learning concepts which they already knew, it seems that the playing of StarPower has given new strength and validity to old but important ideas. It is one thing to know that power corrupts everyone, it is quite another to realize that power might also corrupt Ted or Mary or even oneself. Few people are likely to participate in an endeavor if they feel powerless. When the Circles and Triangles realize that the Squares are not going to be fair with them, they generally drop out psychologically or, physically, try to sabotage the efforts of the Squares, or seize the power for themselves.

This is not a new or surprising idea, but experiencing it directly can often help people see the behavior of those who are reacting to powerlessness, real or imagined, with a new tolerance and understanding. If rules do not have legitimacy, they will not be obeyed.

When the Squares are given the power to make rules they are told they can make any rules they want but they must also enforce any rules they make. They rarely pay much attention to the enforcement part of the statement until the Circles and Triangles decide to disobey them.

Then the often appeal to the director to make the Circles and Triangles obey them, and they have to be reminded that it is their duty to enforce the rules. They generally respond by piling on more rules which also are not obeyed. This raises several interesting questions. Under what conditions is it possible to make unfair rules and have people obey them? Is it worth the price?

Are people justified in disobeying unjust rules? What seems fair to those in power, is not likely to seem fair to those who are out of power. Even when the Squares willingly admit that their rules are not fair, they often cannot understand why the Triangles and Circles are so upset.

It is this discrepancy which often creates serious communication gaps between administrators and teachers, management and labor, the legislators and the people, the rich and the not-so-rich.

Persons who are promoted rarely remember those they leave behind When a Circle or Triangle is promoted to the Square group, he or she almost always participates in the rule making which discriminates against the Circles and Triangles. Even when they do protest during the rule making, they will often use the rules to their own advantage and to the disadvantage of the Circles and Triangles.

There is a question, or course, whether they would identify so closely with the Squares, if they continued to wear their Circle or Triangle badges after being promoted or if they had been sent to the Square group with the express purpose of representing the Circle and Triangles. They understand how easily stereotypes can be developed and what must be done to overcome them. Power of Leadership is a real time, face to face, non-computer based simulation that helps students understand the value and dangers a leader faces when he or she attempts to use the power that goes with a position.

Where Do You Draw the Line? We often customize this simulation to target specific ethical issues. Guns or Butter helps students understand current events at a visceral level. Editors Note: This reply is in response to a questionnaire Simulation Training Systems sent to our customers.

How it was used? For programming within a university residence hall. Description of the class or training it was used in? Within this resident hall, student paraprofessionals are required to complete programming initiatives for the residents they work with. StarPower was used as a large scale intensive program for these residents. What was the objective or focus of the class? To teach residents the importance of power, abuse of power, and leadership. How and why you used our product to help toward that goal.

Feel free to include other resources you used, including your expertise or other products? StarPower is by far the most impactful and meaningful way to teach the lesson of abusive power to students. I love the learning moments that students walk away with.