The Persuasive Power of Clothing: a Study on Motivations Behind Visual Self-Enhancement
The Persuasive Power of Clothing 1
The Persuasive Power of Clothing: A Study on Motivations Behind Visual Self-Enhancement
Jason Low Syracuse University
Dressing to Impress: A Study on Motivations Behind Visual Self-Enhancement It is declared that clothes make the man. That one’s appearance goes so far as to dictate
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the perceived character and personality of that individual. This claim sums up the German phrase “Kleider Machen Leute”. This idiom holds a certain deceptive and controlling appeal, but much truth is there behind it? I will investigate through this paper the motives behind individuals who hyperbolize or manipulate their appearances. The Swiss poet Gottfried Keller first coined the term Kleider Machen Leute as he used this as the title for one of his novels. In the novel, a poor tailor dresses nicely and is treated well. This proves that people base their impressions and treatment towards others mainly on their external appearances. Studies have shown that variations in clothing have an impact on first impressions formed of the specified person wearing that particular clothing. The impressions that are perceived based on a person’s clothing regard the target person’s personality and behavioral characteristics (Burns, 1993). People have started to recognize that the visual aspects of oneself can preemptively broadcast a particular set of personality and character traits to others. People then use this prejudice of appearance to their own advantage and have produced various incentives and motivations behind dressing a particular way. A common reason for the methods people adopt to construct their physical image is so that they can feel good about themselves. It is assumed that people seek positive self-regard; that is, they are motivated to possess, enhance, and maintain positive self-views (Heine, 1999). The act of ‘dressing up’ is seen as a form of self-enhancement. How this serves as a boost to one’s self-esteem can be divided into
The Persuasive Power of Clothing: A Study on Motivations Behind Visual Self-Enhancement
Jason Low Syracuse University
Dressing to Impress: A Study on Motivations Behind Visual Self-Enhancement It is declared that clothes make the man. That one’s appearance goes so far as to dictate
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the perceived character and personality of that individual. This claim sums up the German phrase “Kleider Machen Leute”. This idiom holds a certain deceptive and controlling appeal, but much truth is there behind it? I will investigate through this paper the motives behind individuals who hyperbolize or manipulate their appearances. The Swiss poet Gottfried Keller first coined the term Kleider Machen Leute as he used this as the title for one of his novels. In the novel, a poor tailor dresses nicely and is treated well. This proves that people base their impressions and treatment towards others mainly on their external appearances. Studies have shown that variations in clothing have an impact on first impressions formed of the specified person wearing that particular clothing. The impressions that are perceived based on a person’s clothing regard the target person’s personality and behavioral characteristics (Burns, 1993). People have started to recognize that the visual aspects of oneself can preemptively broadcast a particular set of personality and character traits to others. People then use this prejudice of appearance to their own advantage and have produced various incentives and motivations behind dressing a particular way. A common reason for the methods people adopt to construct their physical image is so that they can feel good about themselves. It is assumed that people seek positive self-regard; that is, they are motivated to possess, enhance, and maintain positive self-views (Heine, 1999). The act of ‘dressing up’ is seen as a form of self-enhancement. How this serves as a boost to one’s self-esteem can be divided into
References: 4 Ames, D, Rose, P,& Anderson, C (2005) The NPI-16 as a Short Measure of Narcissism, Journal of Research in Personality, 40, 440-450 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WM0-4H0YYSW3&_user=783137&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_orig in=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000043272&_version=1&_urlVersion=0& _userid=783137&md5=57f0cc403033523a881a612cd755483d&searchtype=a Burns, L, & Lennon, S (1993) Effect of Clothing on the Use of Person Information Categories in First Impressions, Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 12, 9-10 http://ctr.sagepub.com/content/12/1/9.full.pdf+html Heine, S, Lehman, D, Markus, H, & Kitayama, S (1999) Is there a universal need for positive self-regard? PsychINFO Database Record APA, 106, 766-794 http://psycnet.apa.org/?&fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/0033-295X.106.4.766 Hepper, E, Gramzow, R, & Sedikides, C (2010) Individual Differences in Self-Enhancement and Self-Protection Strategies: An Integrative Analysis, Journal of Personality, 78, 781-814 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/search/article?title=narcissism&title_type=tka&year_from=199 8&year_to=2009&database=1&pageSize=20&index=23 Trzesniewski, KH (2010) Rethinking “Generation Me”: A Study of Cohort Effects From 19762006, Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5, 58-75 http://pps.sagepub.com/content/5/1/58.full.pdf+html The Persuasive Power of Clothing 5 Written Rationale Kleider Machen Leute is a Russian term that translates to mean, “Clothes make the man”. This is to suppose that an impression that one has on others is based, to an extent, on the clothes, or more generally, the external appearance of that particular person. This is not my argument; studies have proven that this idiom has some truth to it. Instead, my hypothesis is that people use the concept behind Kleider Machen Leute to their advantage in various ways. In my paper I will be describing the various incentives people use in the ways which they dress or exhibit themselves to the public. I will go over each incentive in depth and supply supporting evidence through cited journal articles.