An impact on self-perception
The question deserves to be asked because it would seem that clothing, our clothes would sculpt and direct our thinking. In the situation of forced teleworking in which many French people currently find themselves, adopting an outfit linked to our current professional context can therefore help us to project ourselves into a situation to maintain the level of performance.
As an actor puts on the outfit of his character to embody it, represent it, appropriate it and will only be better for playing the role and performing on stage.
Although this field of cognitive science is still in its infancy, a study published in the journal Journal of Experimental Social Psychology in 2012 developed some interesting results. Thus, the researchers found that wearing a white coat described as a doctor's coat tended to increase sustained attention, compared to wearing the same coat described as a painter's coat.
Because we perceive doctors to have a higher level of attention to detail, we begin to take on that same quality when dressed as doctors.
Another study, conducted in 2015, jointly by researchers from Northridge and New York Universities, and entitled The Cognitive Consequences of Formal Clothing, proved that men who wear formal attire (suit, shirt, tie or bow butterfly) develop a greater capacity for abstract thinking.
This is what makes it possible to take a step back, analyze and achieve long-term objectives, whereas a person who mainly uses concrete thinking focuses on immediate, short-term benefits. Conversely, more casual attire favors concrete thoughts.
This study refers to the concept of embodiment, that is to say the way in which our thoughts, our feelings and our behaviors are based on our sensory experiences and on our bodily positions.
The simple act of changing clothes can therefore have a considerable impact on the way we perceive ourselves. Indeed, individuals evaluate themselves using the same frameworks they apply to evaluate others. Any external cues such as appearance or clothing, which affect our impressions of others, can also affect our impressions of ourselves.
