Altering Implicit Stereotypes through Performance: The Role of Motor Resonance in Shaping Unconscious Associations

Current vocabulary to describe the reception of the performance suggests relative passivity: we speak of the spectator (who sees) or the audience (who hears). Neither of these terms adequately describes the kinesthetic experience of performance. In theatre, we have a robust tendency to resonate with actors' behaviors, which in turn can shape our unconscious beliefs about social normalcies. This study will attempt to gather and analyze empirical data to investigate the role of live action resonance in altering implicit associations. The data will be used to formulate and further test interdisciplinary theoretical account of the theatre.

This project was sponsered by the Institute for Humanities Research.