Final answer:
Erving Goffman's interest in the degree to which an individual embraces a role is known as role performance. This concept stems from his dramaturgy theory, which includes the use of impression management to influence how others perceive us, related to Cooley's looking-glass self.
Step-by-step explanation:
Erving Goffman was interested in how individuals engage with the roles they play in society, which is known as role performance. This concept is part of his larger theory of dramaturgy, where society is viewed as a stage and people as actors performing various roles. According to Goffman, individuals use impression management to craft and present an image of themselves in the hopes of being perceived in a certain way by others. Goffman's ideas also expand upon Charles Cooley's concept of the looking-glass self, where our self-image is shaped by how we think others perceive us.
Goffman's work, notably 'The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life', illustrates how, much like actors, people manage their expressions and interactions depending on the social situation, continuously adjusting their performance to fit the context and to control how they are seen by others. This dynamic process of role improvisation is central to our understanding of social interaction and identity formation.