Reinforcement Task: Personal Preference

  1. The teacher photocopies the set of seven cards printed on the following page – ensuring that there is one set for each student – and cuts them out.
  2. Students work in groups of five or six. The teacher gives each student in the group one set of cards.
  3. In their groups each student arranges their cards in order of personal preference. The top card should represent the worst thing that could happen to the student, the second card being the next worst thing, and so on.
  4. When everyone in the group has done this, each person now places their top card face down in a pile in the centre of the group. The second cards are all placed face down in a second pile, and so on, until seven piles are in order before the group.
  5. The teacher puts seven columns on the board, each numbered 1 to 7.
  6. Each group shuffles the cards in their first pile (to ensure anonymity of student choices). These are then tabulated and the groups announce to the teacher any kind of consensus or majority opinion indicated by the cards. The teacher records this on the board. This is done for all seven piles in each group.

When all are recorded, a fairly accurate picture – if everyone were honest – of what the class holds as real values will be on the board.

  1. The teacher then leads a group discussion on the effects these values would or should have on the way people in the class in fact act in daily life. For example, if the number one value of a group is “self-respect”, that is, if the loss of self-respect is considered the worst thing that could happen to a group, discuss certain concrete situations in which this would be proved true.
  • Would you avoid situations in which you might be embarrassed?
  • How far would you be willing to go to preserve your self-respect?
  • Would you really be willing to endure physical pain to preserve it?

Conclude the discussion by asking students to write their own definition of values – if they did not do so while working on Task 1.

Photocopy Original: Cards for Reinforcement Task: Personal Preference

1.Whatever causes me physical pain. / 2.Whatever causes me to feel mental or emotional pain.
3.Whatever causes damage or loss to my property. / 4.Whatever causes me to be ignorant or phony.
5.Whatever takes away my freedom to decide my future. / 6.Whatever causes me to lose my reputation and friendship with others.
7.Whatever causes me to lose my own self respect.