Etym. role (n.) “part or character one takes,” c. 1600, from French rôle “part played by a person in life,” literally “roll (of paper) on which an actor’s part is written,” from Old French rolle.
Etym. player (n.) Old English plegere, agent noun from play (v.). Stage sense is from mid-15c.
Definition
One who assumes the attitudes, actions, and discourse of (another), especially in a make-believe situation, in an effort to understand a differing point of view or social interaction. For example: Nursing students were given a chance to role play a patient or a surgeon. This term is sometimes used interchangeably with the terms ‘simulated’ and ‘standardized patient’ and may include medical, nursing, or other health professionals. (Victorian Simulated Patient Network).
See also: ACTOR, CONFEDERATE, EMBEDDED PARTICIPANT, SIMULATED PATIENT, SIMULATED PERSON, STANDARDIZED PATIENT