A Clothing Experiment

Does the clothing you wear affect your psychological processes? Does your outfit alter how you approach and interact with the world?
 Dr. Galinsky and his colleague Hajo Adam conducted three experiments in which the clothes did not vary but their symbolic meaning was manipulated.

#1  In the first, 58 undergraduates were randomly assigned to wear a white lab coat or street clothes. Then they were given a test for selective attention based on their ability to notice incongruities, as when the word “red” appears in the color green. Those who wore the white lab coats made about half as many errors on incongruent trials as those who wore regular clothes.

 

#2   In the second experiment, 74 students were randomly assigned to one of three options: wearing a doctor’s coat, wearing a painter’s coat or seeing a doctor’s coat. Then they were given a test for sustained attention. They had to look at two very similar pictures side by side on a screen and spot four minor differences, writing them down as quickly as possible.

Those who wore the doctor’s coat, which was identical to the painter’s coat, found more differences. They had acquired heightened attention. Those who wore the painter’s coat or were primed with merely seeing the doctor’s coat found fewer differences between the images.

 

#3   The third experiment explored this priming effect more thoroughly. Does simply seeing a physical item, like the coat, affect behavior? Students either wore a doctor’s coat or a painter’s coat, or were told to notice a doctor’s lab coat displayed on the desk in front of them for a long period of time. All three groups wrote essays about their thoughts on the coats. Then they were tested for sustained attention.

 

Again, the group that wore the doctor’s coat showed the greatest improvement in attention. You have to wear the coat, see it on your body and feel it on your skin for it to influence your psychological processes, Dr. Galinsky said.

 

How does this experiment support the statement:  "the clothes we wear affect how we think about ourselves and our ability."?

Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Do people have emotions tied to clothes? 

Do you have a piece of clothing that makes you feel a certain way?  Does this clothing affect how you approach and interact with the world?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/clothes-and-self-perception.html?_r=0

Sunset Dress Code

Dress Code The Board of Education of the Davis School District recognizes that standards of proper dress and grooming affect the behavior of students, that there are sanitation and safety factors directly related to proper dress and grooming, and that school administrators, teachers, and parents need clear dress and grooming guidelines. Sunset Junior High School set the following standards for school dress and appearance during school hours and at all school-sponsored activities: Students violating dress code will be required to wear clothing provided by the office, contact a parent to get appropriate attire, be placed on dress code contract, and/or be suspended.
Hair: 
All students shall wear hair in a clean and well-groomed manner. Extreme hairstyles or
unnatural colors (i.e. red, orange, purple, blue) are prohibited. This includes hair extenders, spikes and stand-ups – 2 inches maximum.
Clothing:  Clothing shall not be worn which is so extreme that it may disrupt or interfere with school functions. This includes cross-dressing, PJ=s, trench coats, and gloves. $ Clothing shall be of modest design and shall be neat and clean. Shirts, blouses, and dresses must have sleeves, (no spaghetti straps, tube tops, halter tops, midriff tops, or tank tops). They also, must not be sheer, see through, or mesh. Underclothing should not be visible at any time.
-All dresses, skirts, shorts, or other similar wear must be within three inches of the knee, regardless of
any spandex, or (tight) tights, etc., beneath previously stated clothing.
-In all situations involving dress, underwear may not be visible. Sagging or baggy pants are not allowed. Pants must be worn around the waist with a belt if necessary.
-No cleavage may be visible when student is in an upright standing position.
-No skin may be showing between the shirt and the pants/skirt when in an upright standing or sitting position.
-Clothing shall not be torn, ripped, frayed or have holes above the knees.
-Gang-related attire (colors, bandanas, shoe laces, shoes or pants with bandana designs, or symbols) are not allowed.
-Clothing shall not be worn which displays obscene or suggestive words or pictures or which advertises any substance a student can not legally possess or use.
-Belts may not be worn excessively long in front or hanging on either side, or outside of the belt loops. Students shall wear footwear for protection and hygienic reasons while on school grounds, participating in school activities, or on school transportation. House slippers are not acceptable footwear. In the areas where safety is a concern (Science, Home Economics, Design & Tech.) students are required by law (Occupational Health & Safety) to wear closed in shoes. Chains on wallets, or worn as jewelry are not to be worn. Bracelets or chokers with spikes are not allowed. Any accessory which may be considered a risk to the health and safety of others or cause a distraction from the educational process may not be worn.
-Visible tattoos or temporary body art, including drawing or writing on visible skin with marker, pens, etc., are not allowed.
-Exaggerated cosmetics or body paint are unacceptable.
-Sunglasses (unless prescribed by a physician) shall not be worn within the school building or at lunch.
-Adherence to the student dress code is mandatory unless the administration designates a special day or occasion to promote school spirit and/or improve school climate (e.g., Aspirit day@, a school dance, etc.).
Body Piercing:
Exaggerated body piercing will not be allowed at Sunset Junior. The only piercing that will be allowed will be the ears. Covering body piercing with band-aid, tape, or any other temporary covering is NOT acceptable and does NOT meet the standards of the dress code. Head Gear: $
Sunset Junior=s commitment to preparing students for the world of work includes teaching proper etiquette. Good manners dictate that no head gear (hats, caps, hoods, curlers, visors, bandannas gang related, "rags," etc.) shall be worn in the building. This includes any and all locations and school functions in the school building.

Dress for Success

The following quotes give us an idea of how the job market views how you dress:

"Achieving career goals is dependent on your ability to make great first impressions on decision makers in your company. It is important to be sure that the way you dress works in your favor! "
Saré Arnold, Regional Recruiting Manager, Enterprise Rent-A-Car

"When you interview for a job or an internship, you are marketing yourself as a professional to your potential employer. First impressions really count, so it is important to wear professional attire and pay attention to your grooming."
Juanita Allen, Recruitment and Outreach Manager
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
http://www.bridgew.edu/CareerServices/DressforSuccessPacket.pdf

Processing Questions:

What does it mean to "market yourself"? 
Why are first impressions important?
Why do schools encourage being well-dressed?
How do you feel when you are dressed nicely?

What you wear affects your schooling-

A parent made the following comment concerning how his son's life was changed due to his change in appearance:

"My son got in trouble at his middle school and often punished by his vice school principal. One day, I told him to wear pastel/light color polo shirts to the school everyday, not large black T-shirts.

Surprise! Grades improved, and no more detentions.

Same dress code set by him and me was used at to his high school. He got a high GPA, high SAT score and was accepted by a good college.
I assumed that lighter color clothes softened my son's tough looking and gave good impression to the teachers."

Do you agree or disagree with the dad's perception of his son's change? 
http://www.tlnt.com/2012/01/09/hiring-wisdom-why-dress-for-success-really-matters-on-the-job/

A Research Study on Grooming

Good grooming generates a wage premium of 4 percent to 5 percent for young men who are well groomed, according to a statistic in a recent paper by the University of Miami.

The team discovered that physical appearance and personality have a positive effect on earnings in the marketplace and that good grooming may also offset the pay disadvantage for those who are physically unattractive.
This study showed that men who were better groomed than their peers earned more money in the workplace.
Class discussion:
Why does grooming affect how people are viewed?
What does a well-groomed person look like?
What non-verbal message does clothing send?
http://www.tlnt.com/2012/01/09/hiring-wisdom-why-dress-for-success-really-matters-on-the-job/

Dress Code- a writing activity

Read the following scenario:
You are a student at Lakeside Junior High School in Utah. Lately, the teachers and administrators have noticed that the students are wearing short skirts, tight leggings, and low-cut shirts.  Parents from the community have noticed the problem.  They begin to request that the school have uniforms the following school year. 
Should the school enforce uniforms to solve the problem?  Why or why not?

Write a persuasive letter to the Principal concerning your position on this.