A thematic analysis of the experience of being in a role

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a thematic description of what individuals are aware of when asked to describe their experiences of enacting a social role. Undergraduate students (N = 139) were asked to list three situations in which they were aware of being in a role and then to describe one in detail. An interpretation of student responses yielded a thematic description defined by three aspects: (1) an ideal form (or template) for the role in question; (2) an experience of how well that form fit the person's body, sense of self, and/or other people in the relevant situation; and (3) a hyperawareness of body, self, and situation. Considered in terms of process, awareness of role seems best described as an experientially shifting gestalt in which the person is simultaneously or successively aware of the adequacy of fit between a specific role template and the person's body, present context, and/or experience of self and others in that situation.