Northwestern professor’s game prods practice of productive disagreement

• For Journalists
• News Releases
• Latest Releases
• News Release

Northwestern professor's game prods practice of productive disagreement

Point Taken enlists partisans in a quest to understand each other's perspective

EVANSTON, Ill. --- At an Evanston brewpub, participants seated at tables covered in interlocking tiles weren't playing Scrabble - they were engaging in passionate, yet civil, debates over contested topics like transgender athletes and affordable housing. They were testers playing Point Taken, a new game by Northwestern University researchers designed to turn angry disagreements into clear and calm discussions.

Despite the charged topics, there was no sign of tension or raised voices in the pub. That's because Point Taken uses a research-backed strategy called visual argument mapping to equip people with a method for teaching productive disagreement.

The game's developer is Steven Franconeri, a professor of psychology at Northwestern, who refocused his research in response to the growing problem of disagreements becoming increasingly angry and unproductive.

Franconeri translated his expertise at visualizing information (like slides or diagrams) into a game design that helps people literally see not only where they disagree, but also where they agree.

He also recruited colleagues from Northwestern's Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement to help him incorporate rules for civil conversation, which are well known by experts in conflict resolution. Building those rules into the game creates an easy-to-learn format that helps the everyday person listen, regulate their emotions and even become open to changing their minds.

"Disagreement is good, and progress isn't possible without it," Franconeri said. "Putting careful and thoughtful arguments into competition is at the core of our judicial and legislative system and is the backbone of science. But because of the way media and social media amplifies outrage and extreme views, people tend to think of those with different beliefs as evil or incompetent."

How the game works

Point Taken is a writing-based conversation game where two players holding opposite views on a topic can only win the game if they band together on a common mission. The goal is not to persuade the other person of your position, but to understand each other's reasoning well enough that players can visualize "why" they disagree.

The game's rules circumvent the major obstacles to productive disagreement: a lack of civility, dishonest thinking and failing to listen to opposing views.

The game enforces civility by allowing participants to criticize someone's argument, but not their character or motivations. Players can also earn points by helping to clarify each other's arguments.

The game's visual layout forms a threaded discussion that prevents "whataboutism," a dishonest practice of bringing up an unrelated argument to try and change the topic. When facts are cited, players must agree to pause the game and do joint research to source them. Overgeneralizing from single examples, or "cherry picking," is not allowed.

Most importantly, winning the game requires listening to each other, as the game only unfolds as players respond thoughtfully to each other's points.

"Our goal with this game is not to take sides on any issue, but to structure respectful and rational arguments - and let people come to their own conclusions," Franconeri said.

Promising results

The game can be learned quickly with a six-minute video tutorial, and the average game lasts 20 minutes.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with players saying they are surprised they can discuss challenging topics in a way that felt comfortable and objective. People also discover they are more uncertain about their opinions after being forced to think them through with another player.

"Players are surprised to find they actually agree on 80% of their reasoning, and that the disagreement zone is far smaller than they predicted," Franconeri said.

Even without the game, the same rules can help people disagree better across strained relationships at their kitchen table, classroom or office.

"Don't try to persuade each other, that backfires. Instead, earnestly try to understand how they think. Listen carefully and ask clarifying questions. Don't show even a hint of anger, and if it gets heated, pause the conversation," Franconeri said. "Then repeat back their argument to them, more clearly than they stated it. That's magical to them - just imagine if someone did that for you."

He continued, "Now they should be ready to hear your side - they'd look selfish if they didn't. But don't push or try to persuade them, because people are deeply limited in how much they can change their mind in a single conversation - you need to be ready for a long road."

Point Taken can be played by adults, or even children who can read and write. To download a free copy of the game or to play it online, visit https://pointtaken.social/.