act out different roles?

[keannu]

What is "act out" here"? "make performance like in a play" or "show or express your emotion"? Is it a common expression?

ex)Role theory takes the view that consumer behavior resembles actions in a play. As people act out different roles, they sometimes alter their consumption decisions depending on the "play" they are in. The criteria that they use to evaluate products and services in one of their roles may be quite different from those used in another role. In many cases, the purchaser and the user of a product might....

 

[riquecohen]

What is "act out" here"? "make performance like in a play" or "show or express your emotion"? Is it a common expression?

ex)Role theory takes the view that consumer behavior resembles actions in a play. As people act out different roles, they sometimes alter their consumption decisions depending on the "play" they are in. The criteria that they use to evaluate products and services in one of their roles may be quite different from those used in another role. In many cases, the purchaser and the user of a product might....

Within this context "act out" does mean, as you've suggested, "to perform as in a play." It would be easily understood by a native speaker.
The second definition that you've given refers to behavior that is not in accordance with accepted norms, such as a teenager standing on a seat on a bus or an employee berating his supervisor in public.