The psychodramatic role test: An examination of the science

•The psychodramatic role test was examined for scientific worthiness and usefulness.•The role test has high ecological validity, can adjust variables, and is a client-defined test of efficacy.•There are several limitations from a scientific perspective.•Psychotherapists need not solely rely on external ideas of evidence and science.

Part of a psychodramatic session was formulated as an experiment. The psychodramatist posed a hypothesis that certain functioning that been achieved as a result of a therapeutic intervention. A psychodramatic role test was devised to test that hypothesis. This instance of a role test was then used to reflect on and examine the ‘science’ of the role test. The role test was found to be scientific in that: a hypothesis is submitted to its greatest challenge; ecological validity is approached by seeking to have all significant factors in their actual dynamics; all factors can be arranged in different configurations. Limitations from a scientific perspective were: replication is not possible, generalizability is limited, dependent and independent variables are ill-defined, and claims to causality are debatable. The article may offer ideas on how therapists could scrutinize the methods within their own practice as to scientific worthiness and not solely rely on external ideas of evidence and science.