RESEARCH METHOD COHEN ok

452 ROLE-PLAYING
have broken down. Mixon also wrote that when
the experimental situation is confusing, as was the
case in the Milgram study, then some people will
obey and some will defy experimental commands.
We leave readers to compare Mixon’s explanations
with Milgram’s account set out by Brown
and Herrnstein (1975).
In summary, sophisticated role-playing methods
such as those used by Mixon (1974) offer exciting
possibilities to the educational researcher. They
avoid the disadvantages of deception designs yet
are able to incorporate many of the standard
features of experiments such as constructing
experimental conditions across factors of interest
(in the Mixon studies for example, using scripts
that vary the states of given role/rule contexts),
randomly assigning actors to conditions as a
way of randomizing out individual differences,
using repeated-measures designs, and standardizing
scripts and procedures to allow for replication of
studies (Forward et al.1976).
Despite what has just been said about the
possibilities of incorporating experimental roleplaying
methodologies in exploratory rather than
experimental settings, Harré andSecord(1972)
distinguish between ‘exploration’ and ‘experiment’
as follows. Whereas the experiment is employed to
test the authenticity of what is known, exploration
serves quite a different purpose, as here the
scientist, having no clear idea of what may occur,
seeks to find out, i.e. the scientist knows where to
go but not what he or she will find out or what
to expect. The research does not confirm or refute
ahypothesis.
Increasingly, exploratory (as opposed to experimental)
research into human social behaviour is
turning to role-playing methodologies. The reason
is plain enough. Where the primary objective of
such research is the identification and elucidation
of the role/rule frameworks governing social interaction,
informed rather than deceived subjects are
essential if the necessary data on how they genuinely
think and feel are to be made available to
the researcher. Contrast the position of the fully
participating, informed subject in such research
with that of the deceived subject under the more
usual experimental conditions.
It can be argued that many of the more pressing
social problems that society faces today arise
out of our current ignorance of the role/rule
frameworks governing human interactions in
diverse social settings. If this is the case, then
role-playing techniques could offer the possibility
of a greater insight into the natural episodes of
human behaviour that they seek to elucidate
than the burgeoning amount of experimental
data already at hand. The danger may lie in too
much being expected of role-playing as a key to
such knowledge. Ginsburg (1978) offers a timely
warning. Role-playing, he urges, should be seen
as a complement to conventional experiments,
survey research and field observations. That is,
it is an important addition to our investigative
armamentarium, not a replacement.
Role-playing in educational settings
Role-playing, gaming and computer simulation
are three strands of development in simulation
studies. The distinction between these three
types of simulation – role-playing, games and
computers – is by no means clear-cut; for example,
simulation games often contain role-playing
activities and may be designed with computer
back-up services to expedite their procedures
(see Taylor and Walford 1972).
In this section we focus particularly upon roleplaying
aspects of simulation, beginning with
some brief observations on the purposes of roleplaying
in classroom settings and some practical
suggestions directed towards the less experienced
practitioners of role-playing methods. Later in the
chapter we look at simulations.
The uses of role-playing
The uses of role-playing are classified by Van
Ments (1978) as follows:
Developing sensitivity and awareness: the definitions
of positions such as mother, teacher,
police officer and priest, for example, explicitly
or implicitly incorporate various role characteristics
which often lead to the stereotyping