Simulated Interaction and Communication Skills Training: The ‘Conversation-Analytic Role-Play Method’

‘Role-play’ is a ubiquitous method for training people in workplace settings of all kinds to better interact with other colleagues and members of the public. Van Hasselt, Romano and Vecchi define role-play as ‘simulations of real-world interpersonal encounters, communications, or events’ (2008, p. 251). Typically, role-play methods involve the people being trained or assessed interacting with actors or other simulated interlocutors, using ‘narrative adaptations’ of hypothetical or actual scenarios as the basis for the simulated encounter (Van Hasselt, Romano and Vecchi, 2008, p. 254, see also Rosenbaum and Ferguson, 2006). In addition to its training function, role-play is used to assess ‘communication skills’ across numerous workplace settings. It is also used more generally as a pedagogical tool in educational contexts (e.g., Andresen, 2005; Rogers and Evans, 2007), and to assess other sorts of psychological competences (e.g., Leising, Rehbein and Sporberg, 2007; Palmieri et al., 2007).