NOTES ON THE CONCEPT OF "ROLE-PLAYING"

Abstract

The term "role-playing," like so many other psychodramatic designations, has come to permeate the popular literature. Unfortunately, its original meaning has been drastically altered by many of those who appropriated the term, and substituted a less satisfactory concept. Specifically, many in the contemporary "encounter" movement understand "role-playing" in a pejorative sense: to "play a role" is considered to indicate "non-genuine behavior" in an interaction, while "being oneself" implies genuineness in human relations.