I don't just mean that coveting a gorgeous dress can make you crazy. What I am talking about is a study led by Adam D. Galinsky on the effects of clothing on cognitive processes. Joshua I. Davis, an assistant professor of psychology who was not involved in the study said, "I love the idea of trying to figure out why, when we put on certain clothes, we might more readily take on a role and how that might affect our basic abilities." An article on this study appeared in the New York Times this spring.
The study is rife with plural forms of the words "may" "might," "appears," and "could be," making it clear that no definitive results were found. However, in three experiments, those students who wore white lab or doctors' coats, as opposed to street clothes, "showed the greatest improvement in attention." Furthermore, Galinsky stated "Clothes invade the body and brain, putting the wearer into a different psychological state."
In short, this study confirmed what many of us have known all along: clothing has a deep and profound influence on how we think. Do not underestimate the power of clothing.
Fun facts about the woman pictured above: She is Mary Van Rensselaer Buell (1893-1969). In 1919, Van Rensselaer Buell (1893-1969) became the first woman to earn Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin.
No comments:
Post a Comment