Attitude change induced by role playing as a function of improvisation and role-taking skill
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6203423 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Robert E Matefy (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1972 |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 343-350 |
| Publication date | 1972-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315 |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1037/h0033725 |
| PMID | 4655543 |
| OpenAlex | W2115439385 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 10 |
The effects of improvisation and role-taking skill on attitude change induced by role playing are examined. The role-played task involved writing a persuasive essay that attacked a commonly shared health belief—the advantages of annual medical checkups or the benefits of penicillin. Varied conditions of improvised role playing showed differential effectiveness in changing the roleplayed attitudes. The major finding was that the role-playing condition allowing greatest improvisation did not produce the most change. This result offers qualification of the often-stated assumption that maximum improvisation increases change of role-played attitudes. Role-taking skill also had an effect on attitude change. Highly skilled subjects showed greater adoption of the roleplayed position. However, this finding was shown only when role-taking skill was assessed by Elms' Empathic Fantasy Scale and not when it was assessed by Sarbin's As-If Test, Cline's Predictive Accuracy Test, or Lee's Role-Taking subtest of the Hypnotic Characteristics Inventory. Enacting a role discrepant from one's present beliefs has proven to be an effective tactic for the modification of attitudes and behavior. Underlying this activity is the requirement that the participant involve himself in the advocated role and represent the other's perspective as if it were his very own, for example, taking another's position in a group discussion (Culbertson, 1957), debating a discrepant view in front of an audience (Sarbin & Allen, 1964), persuading another subject of a counternorm argument (Elms, 1966), or writing an essay advocating an opinion opposite from private belief (Watts, 1967)
Attitude change · Developmental psychology · Function (biology) · Improvisation · Pedagogy · Role playing · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Communication in Education and Healthcare · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Social Psychology
The Effectiveness of Supportive and Refutational Defenses in Immunizing and Restoring Beliefs Against Persuasion
Role Enactment, Audience Feedback, and Attitude Change
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Improvised Versus Non-Improvised Role-Playing in Producing Opinion Changes
The effect of effort and improvisation on self-persuasion produced by role-playing
Relative persistence of opinion change induced by active compared to passive participation
The influence of incentive conditions on the success of role playing in modifying attitudes
Influence of fantasy ability on attitude change through role playing
The relative efficacy of various types of prior belief-defense in producing immunity against persuasion
An experimental analysis of role behavior
Modification of an emotionally held attitude through role playing
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,08 |
| Citation span | 1974 - 1984 (11) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |