Imagine this scenario: you are walking on the streets and you see a person in front of you wearing a white lab coat. You will most likely automatically assume he is a doctor. The symbolic meaning of a white lab coat is that physicians are very detail oriented and good at paying attention. The study of associating certain clothing on cognitive process is called enclothed cognition.
Studies have shown that if you wear a lab coat that you believe belongs to a doctor, your attentiveness will be increased. There has been many tests to support this theory. In one experiment, 58 undergraduates were randomly assigned to wear a white lab coat or street clothes and tested to notice errors such as the word “red” appears in green. The results showed that those in white lab coats made half as many errors as those who whore street clothes. Along with two other experiments, they have came to a conclusion that you have to wear the coat, see it on your body and feel it on your skin for it to influence psychological processes.
I agree with this article that what we wear definitely affects the way we behave psychologically. I think this in part comes from society perceives those who are more “professional” in the way they dress, are often associated with maturity, integrity and sometimes intelligence. It also affects the way we think about ourselves. In the article, a teacher assistant who wears formal clothing was said to be more intelligent than one who dressed casually. When Dr. Galinsky decided to dress as a pimp, he sort of played that role by “gliding” into the room. I do strongly believe that we interact with others based on their way they dress. If I was talking to a person dressed in business formal attire, my tone of voice and the way I act will be different as opposed to someone dressed in t-shirt and shorts.
