A man as a role player: The theory of roles in psychodrama

Abstract

Role theory represents one of the core concepts of psychodrama. J. L. Moreno, the founder of psycho­drama, sociometry and group therapy, developed the role concept as a tool to be used in psychotherapy, group work in general and for understanding of every-day life. Moreno (1953/1993) defines the role as a bridge between the social and the individual psychological dynamics and understands an individual as a role player. What an individual feels thinks and how he behaves stems from the roles he plays. In the ar­ticle the definitions of roles are presented, their development and their numerous classifications, based on different criteria. The examples of role theory implementation in different areas of psychodrama use are also presented.