| Abstract: | Psychologists know surprisingly little about the cognitive and affective underpinnings of acting, and this stands in sharp in contrast to what has been learned about the psychological skills involved in music and the visual arts. In this article, the author discusses findings on the childhood precursors of acting talent and outlines a program of research she is initiating to test the hypothesis that acting training fosters strength in reading others' mental states, feeling others' feelings, and regulating one's own emotions in an adaptive manner. This research has implications for understanding the malleability of these outcomes and expertise in these abilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
