An example of role preparation by a professional actor: A think‐aloud protocol

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Abstract
Previous research has shown that professional actors gain a deep understanding of a role by analyzing a script to discern the plans their assigned characters are following. The think‐aloud protocol reported here shows this plan‐recognition process in action by specifying the relationship between the aspects of the text attended to and the information derived from them. A coding procedure was developed that revealed that the actor attends not only to the meaning but also to such elements of the text as structure, punctuation, and linguistic devices in order to determine the character's internal states (e.g., intentions and motivations) and specific performance characteristics (e.g., speech and movement patterns). This approach may be dictated by the actor's need to turn written text into living conversation. The types of elaborations that the actor derived from the input and the role that these elaborations may play in the understanding and learning of lengthy complex material are discussed.

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