The Concept of Role Theory Reading Answers for IELTS

The Concept of Role Theory is a popular passage in the IELTS Reading test. It explains how individuals act and perform a role in social and professional contexts. The passage includes the concepts of role sets, role signs, role ambiguity, and how social and organisational aspects can influence human behavior. 

The Concept of Role Theory Reading Answers for IELTS includes a total of 14 questions. The questions are divided into three main sections: YES/NO/NOT GIVEN, Sentence Completion, and Multiple Choice Questions. Practicing this passage can help the test-takers to understand different IELTS Reading test questions. This article offers sample questions and answers for the "Concept of role theory" Reading Answers, along with effective tips. Read the article till the end to improve your IELTS Reading band score. 

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Concept of Role Theory Reading Passage

The passage below, "Concept of Role Theory," is a very common Reading passage in the IELTS exam. You should spend about 20 minutes completing Questions 1-14 below based on the reading passage below. 

The Concept of Role Theory

Role Set

A.  Any individual in any situation occupies a role in relation to other people. The particular individual with whom one is concerned in the analysis of any situation is usually given the name of focal person. He has the focal role and can be regarded as sitting in the middle of a group of people, with whom he interacts in some way in that situation. This group of people is called his role set. For instance, in the family situation, an individual’s role set might be shown as in Figure 1.

Figure 1: The role set should include all those with whom the individual has more than trivial interactions.

Role definition

B. The definition of any individual’s role in any situation will be a combination of the role expectations that the members of the role set have of the focal role. These expectations are often occupationally denned, sometimes even legally so. The role definitions of lawyers and doctors are fairly clearly defined both in legal and in cultural terms. The role definitions of, say, a film star or bank manager, are also fairly clearly defined in cultural terms, too clearly perhaps.

C. Individuals often find it hard to escape from the role that cultural traditions have defined for them. Not only with doctors or lawyers is the required role behaviour so constrained that if you are in that role for long it eventually becomes part of you, part of your personality. Hence, there is some likelihood that all accountants will be alike or that all blondes are similar - they are forced that way by the expectations of their role. 

D. It is often important that you make it clear what your particular role is at a given time. The means of doing this are called, rather obviously, role signs. The simplest of role signs is a uniform. The number of stripes on your arm or pips on your shoulder is a very precise role definition which allows you to do certain very prescribed things in certain situations. Imagine yourself questioning a stranger on a dark street at midnight without wearing the role signs of a policeman!

In social circumstances, dress has often been used as a role sign to indicate the nature and degree of formality of any gathering and occasionally the social status of people present. The current trend towards blurring these role signs in dress is probably democratic, but it also makes some people very insecure. Without role signs, who is to know who has what role?

E. Place is another role sign. Managers often behave very differently outside the office and in it, even to the same person. They use a change of location to indicate a change in role from, say, boss to friend. Indeed, if you wish to change your roles you must find some outward sign that you are doing so or you won’t be permitted to change - the subordinate will continue to hear you as his boss no matter how hard you try to be his friend. In very significant cases of role change, e.g. from a soldier in the ranks to officer, from bachelor to married man, the change of role has to have a very obvious sign, hence rituals. It is interesting to observe, for instance, some decline in the emphasis given to marriage rituals. This could be taken as an indication that there is no longer such a big change in role from single to married person, and therefore no need for a public change in sign.

In organisations, office signs and furniture are often used as role signs. These and other perquisites of status are often frowned upon, but they may serve a purpose as a kind of uniform in a democratic society; roles without signs often lead to confused or differing expectations of the role of the focal person. 

Role ambiguity

F. Role ambiguity results when there is some uncertainty in the minds, either of the focal person or of the members of his role set, as to precisely what his role is at any given time. One of the crucial expectations that shape the role definition is that of the individual, the focal person himself. If his occupation of the role is unclear, or if it differs from that of the others in the role set, there will be a degree of role ambiguity. Is this bad? Not necessarily, for the ability to shape one’s own role is one of the freedoms that many people desire, but the ambiguity may lead to role stress which will be discussed later on. The virtue of j ob descriptions is that they lessen this role ambiguity. Unfortunately, job descriptions are seldom complete role definitions, except at the lower end of the scale. At middle and higher management levels, they are often a list of formal jobs and duties that say little about the more subtle and informal expectations of the role. The result is therefore to give the individual an uncomfortable feeling that there are things left unsaid, i. e. to heighten the sense of role ambiguity.

G. Looking at role ambiguity from the other side, from the point of view of the members of the role set, lack of clarity in the role of the focal person can cause insecurity, lack of confidence, irritation and even anger among members of his role set. One list of the roles of a manager identified the following: executive, planner, policy maker, expert, controller of rewards and punishments, counsellor, friend, teacher. If it is not clear, through role signs of one sort or another, which role is currently the operational one, the other party may not react in the appropriate way — we may, in fact, hear quite another message if the focal person speaks to us, for example, as a teacher and we hear her as an executive.

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Concept of Role Theory IELTS Reading Questions and Answers

Questions 1-7

Do the following statements reflect the views of the writer in Reading Passage?

In boxes 29-35 on your answer sheet write

YES if the statement reflects the views of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to know what the writer thinks about this

1. It would be a good idea to specify the role definitions of soldiers more clearly.
2. Accountants may be similar to one another because they have the same type of job.
3. It is probably a good idea to keep dress as a role sign even nowadays.
4. The decline in emphasis on marriage rituals should be reversed.
5. Today furniture operates as a role sign in the same way as dress has always done.
6. It is a good idea to remove role ambiguity.
7. Job descriptions eliminate role ambiguity for managers.

Questions 1-7 Answers

1. It would be a good idea to specify the role definitions of soldiers more clearly.

• Answer: NOT GIVEN
• Answer Location: NOT GIVEN
• Keyword: NOT GIVEN
• Explanation: NOT GIVEN

2. Accountants may be similar to one another because they have the same type of job.

• Answer: YES
• Answer Location: Paragraph C
• Keyword: Accountants, alike
• Explanation: In paragraph C, it is mentioned that “some likelihood that all accountants will be alike”. This supports the idea that the same type of job can make them similar.  

3. It is probably a good idea to keep dress as a role sign even nowadays.

• Answer: YES
• Answer Location: Paragraph D
• Keyword: Dress, as a role sign
• Explanation: Paragraph D highlights the significance of dress as a role sign to indicate the nature and degree of formality of any gathering. 

4. The decline in emphasis on marriage rituals should be reversed.

• Answer: NOT GIVEN
• Answer Location: NOT GIVEN
• Keyword: NOT GIVEN
• Explanation: NOT GIVEN

5. Today furniture operates as a role sign in the same way as dress has always done.

• Answer: YES
• Answer Location: Paragraph E
• Keyword: Furniture, used as role signs
• Explanation: The paragraph E confirms that furniture is often used as role signs, like uniforms or dress, in organisations.

6. It is a good idea to remove role ambiguity.

• Answer: NO
• Answer Location: Paragraph F
• Keyword: Crucial expectation, focus person himself
• Explanation: Paragraph F states that role ambiguity can be positive as it may lead to role stress and give individuals freedom.

7. Job descriptions eliminate role ambiguity for managers.

• Answer: NO
• Answer Location: Paragraph F
• Keyword: Lessen, role ambiguity
• Explanation: Paragraph F states that job descriptions lessen role ambiguity but do not fully eliminate it.

Questions 8-11

Choose ONE OR TWO WORDS from Reading Passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes Questions 8-11 on your answer sheet.

1. A new headmaster of a school who enlarges his office and puts in expensive carpeting is using the office as a 8 _____
2. The graduation ceremony in many universities is an important 9_____
3. The wig which judges wear in UK courts is a 10 _____
4. The parents of students in a school are part of the headmaster’s 11 _____

Questions 8-11 Answers

8. A new headmaster of a school who enlarges his office and puts in expensive carpeting is using the office as a

• Answer: Role sign
• Answer Location: Paragraph E
• Keyword: Place, role sign, location to indicate
• Explanation: In paragraph E, the writer has mentioned that the office and its features are used to symbolize a role acting as a role sign. 

9. The graduation ceremony in many universities is an important

• Answer: Ritual
• Answer Location: Paragraph E
• Keyword: Change of role, obvious sign, hence
• Explanation: Paragraph E clearly states that graduation is a ritual. It marks a significant role change, such as from student to graduate. 

10. The wig which judges wear in UK courts is a

• Answer: Role sign
• Answer Location: Paragraph D
• Keyword: Serve a purpose, kind of uniform
• Explanation: The wig used by judges is a direct indicator of the judge’s role, which acts as a uniform for all. 

11. The parents of students in a school are part of the headmaster’s

• Answer: Role set
• Answer Location: Paragraph A
• Keyword: Members of, role set
• Explanation: The parents interact with the headmaster. The headmaster has a combination of roles within his role set. 

Questions 12

Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write it in box 12 on your answer sheet.

12. This text is taken from

A. A guide for new managers in a company.

B. A textbook analysis of behaviour in organisations.

C. A critical study of the importance of role signs in modern society.

D. A newspaper article about role changes.

Questions 12 

• Answer: C. A critical study of the importance of role signs in modern society.
• Answer Location: Entire passage
• Explanation: The passage "Concept of role theory" analyzes Role Set, Role definition, and Role ambiguity in various organizational contexts, such as textbooks or scholarly material.

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IELTS Prep Tips for The Concept of Role Theory Reading Answers

Here are some important tips to help you confidently solve IELTS Reading passage"Concept of Role Theory": 

• Expand IELTS Vocabulary: Vocabulary plays an important role in solving the IELTS reading passages. In this passage, some specialized vocabulary is used: "role set," "role ambiguity, and "role signs" in various organizational contexts. Therefore, learning new IELTS vocabulary can help the test-takers develop a better understanding of different IELTS reading passages. 
• Learn Synonyms and Antonyms of Words: The IELTS reading passages use different synonyms and antonyms of similar words to confuse candidates. In the above passage, “central individual” and “person being analyzed” are used to define a focal person. Learning synonyms and antonyms helps test-takers answer quickly. 
• Use of Prefixes and Suffixes: The passage used many words like "occupationally", “redefined”, and “insecurity” using prefixes and suffixes. Therefore, understanding prefixes and suffixes can help you identify the original words.
• Skim the Passage: Skimming is a very important technique in the IELTS Reading section. The skimming technique is used to understand the main idea of the passage. This technique is very useful for applicants to save time during the test. Skimming technique is used to identify different aspects of role theory in the "Concept of role theory" passage. 
• Scan the Passage: Scanning is another important technique that can minimize the test completion time. Scanning the keywords can help you locate the specific information quickly. 
• Cause-and-Effect Relationships: In the IELTS reading passage, the cause-and-effect relationships are used to answer inference-based questions. It helps you understand how one phenomenon can lead to any specific effect.
• Comparisons and Contrasts: In this passage, multiple roles are compared and contrasted with other roles. Such as dress and uniforms are compared to furniture to define role signs, and doctors and managers are contrasted for uniform-based roles vs. informal roles. 
• Think Like the Writer: Try to understand the writer’s point of view to answer YES/NO/NOT GIVEN questions. In case of confusion, compare sentences and ideas to understand the main idea of the author.
• Practice, Review, and Analyze Your Mistakes: Practicum review, and analysis are the three main components to answer "Concept of role theory" IELTS reading passage answers. Track your mistakes and develop preparation methods accordingly. 

Read more about: Tips For Reading in IELTS Exam | IELTS Academic Reading | IELTS Reading Tips And Tricks | IELTS General Reading Test |

Conclusion

One can check the answers to the IELTS reading passage “The Concept of Role Theory” with the detailed explanation. Knowing the IELTS reading answers will help candidates understand the format and structure of the passages. One can consult UpgradAbroad for any kind of guidance in IELTS preparation.