Ice breaker on perception and communication

Here's an icebreaker activity on perception and communication that you can use:

Activity: "The Human Filter"

Objective: To understand how our individual perceptions and biases can affect communication and relationships.

Instructions:

1. Divide the group into pairs.
2. Give each pair a piece of paper and a pen.
3. Explain the activity: "Imagine you are a filter that can only see and hear a limited amount of information. You can only see and hear what you want to see and hear, and you can't see or hear anything that contradicts your own beliefs or opinions."
4. Ask each pair to write down three things they think their partner will say or do in the next 5 minutes. Encourage them to be as specific as possible.
5. After 5 minutes, ask each pair to share their predictions with the group.
6. Then, ask each partner to share what they actually said or did during the 5-minute period.
7. Encourage the group to discuss the following questions:
   • How did your predictions compare to what actually happened?
   • What biases or assumptions did you bring to the activity?
   • How did your partner's predictions compare to what actually happened?
   • What did you learn about each other's perceptions and biases?

Debriefing questions:

• How does this activity relate to our everyday interactions with others?
• How can we become more aware of our own biases and assumptions when communicating with others?
• What strategies can we use to overcome our own biases and assumptions when communicating with others?

Variations:

• To make the activity more challenging, you can add a twist, such as asking each pair to write down three things they think their partner will say or do in the next 5 minutes, but with a specific theme or topic in mind (e.g. a current event, a popular book or movie, etc.).
• To make the activity more interactive, you can have each pair act out their predictions, and then ask the group to guess what actually happened.

Benefits:

• This activity helps participants become more aware of their own biases and assumptions, and how they can affect communication and relationships.
• It encourages participants to think critically about their own perceptions and how they can be influenced by external factors.
• It promotes active listening and empathy by encouraging participants to consider multiple perspectives and try to understand each other's points of view.