Elaborative memory strategies of professional actors

• Published in: Applied cognitive psychology 1992-09, Vol.6 (5), p.417-427
• Main Author: Noice, Helga
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actors; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Learning. Memory; Memory; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Strategies
• ISSN: 0888-4080; 1099-0720
• DOI: 10.1002/acp.2350060506

Analysis of expert performance in various domains has revealed not only that experts possess a high degree of knowledge, but that this knowledge is very efficiently organized. But increased understanding of expertise has shed little light on what specific strategy is best suited for a particular task. This study investigated the strategies employed by professional actors in the course of learning theatrical scripts. Seven actors were asked to describe the procedures they use in preparing and learning a role. These protocols were then analysed for commonalities among subjects. The most important finding was that there was unanimous agreement among actors that they do not memorize the lines in a rote‐type fashion. Instead they read the script many times, trying to infer the motivation behind each utterance. All of the actors stressed the importance of identifying the underlying meaning and of explaining why the character said those exact words. Apparently this type of ‘active’ understanding leads to verbatim retention of the text and makes word‐for‐word or line‐for‐line memorizing unnecessary.