First session with Raúl, 7 years old. He comes to the psychology consultation due to a behavioral disorder. We had previously had a session with his parents, who were worried about how to explain to Raúl the need to go to therapy. Do we say you're a doctor? How do we justify that you don't wear a white coat? Of course! The child, until that moment, only knows his pediatrician, who does wear a white coat. Finally, we agree on a way that the parents think “Raul will like.” They will tell him that I am “the doctor of smiles and games, and those doctors don't need a lab coat”.
This is an example taken from a situation close to one experienced in reality and which is very common among children. Depending on the developmental stage, there are evolutionary fears Among which is the “white coat«because of the association with doctor, injection, examination, pain,…
However, it is not surprising that many teenagers and some adults seem disappointed when they see me without the white coat, which seems to confer “magic powers” to its wearer.
Reasons I give as a psychologist for not wearing a white coat
There are rules everywhere, but let's see: in almost all hospitals the rule is usually that psychologists – as members of the medical staff – wear a white coat. In almost all private psychology consultations or officesthe rule is usually the opposite. Obviously, in both cases, there are exceptions.
The white coats They are generally used to prevent the doctor from becoming dirty or contaminated with any type of bodily fluid from the patient. In a psychology consultationin principle, it will be difficult for that to happen. Why do we need the gown, then?
For the doctor, the gown may be necessary, but in my practice, I believe that comfortable chairs are more necessary so that patients can express themselves freely, finding a warm and empathetic atmosphere.
The most important reason is that the robe produces distance. UFor the patient, a person in a lab coat is a kind of “superior being who knows everything”, who is addressed as “usted” – even if he or she is the same age or younger than the patient – and addressed as “doctor” – even if he or she is only a “bachelor/master”. In this way, a formal artifice is created, a kind of protocol that “kills” the good rapport necessary for any session therapeutic. The doctor does not need rapport but for the psychologist It is essential.
Are you thinking that it is a good idea not to wear a white coat? There are still more reasons. The patient may have the false impression that he does not need to do anything. Why? The doctor – who wears a white coat – ends up prescribing a medicine that “cures/relieves” his ailment. If the psychologist wears a white coat, he will take out of one of his pockets the magic powder that will do the same job. In my practice we are very forgetful, we never remember to buy “magic powder” and, for the daring ones, we forget the “magic ball” at home… psychotherapeutic session It is a collaborative effort, in which the psychologist proposes some guidelines that the patient must continue working on at home. The patient believes that the session consists of sitting on the comfortable sofa and talking. I usually explain to him that the door is a door, made of wood, “one of the traditional ones” but what it is not is “a magic arch that provides immediate solutions”.
Studies on the Psychology of Fashion
Fashion psychology, also called “embodied cognition” or “invested cognition,” states that The clothes we wear not only speak about ourselves but are capable of influencing us and influencing others.conditioning our mood and performance.
You may remember the case of Dr. Sergio Gallegos, the Mexican pediatric oncologist who appeared in multiple media outlets a year ago as he made visits dressed as a superhero. Dressing up influences the quality of life of his patients and their treatment, since children create fantasies and ideas about the doctor, who is the person who has the “power” to cure them. At the same time, working dressed as one of the most famous superheroes has also influenced Dr. Gallegos’ attitude.
The clothes we wear not only speak about ourselves but are capable of influencing us and influencing others.
Dr. Karen Pine, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, asked a group of students to come to class wearing Superman T-shirts. She had a scientific reason for it: I wanted to know if the hero shirt would change his thoughts. And so it was. The students described themselves as nicer, stronger, and superior to the other students. So, Clothing affects our mental processes and perceptionsbeing able to change our way of thinking.
According to Dr. Pine “There are many ways in which clothes influence us. One of them is through the symbolic meaning that this item of clothing has. We adopt the characteristics that we associate with this item of clothing and this has the power to change the way we think.This is what we know as invested cognition.
According to various studies published in the Journal of Consumer Research, people who somehow break the “rules” with a little “hint” of rebellion, whether through brightly colored socks, wearing brightly colored sneakers, original accessories, etc., are perceived as “more competent and with a higher status.”
This “rebellious wink” is the same as saying: I am within my social group, I follow the rules, you can trust me because I am close but, at the same time, I have my own personality. This is what we psychologists can do without wearing white coats.
However, there are other studies that go the opposite way. A study published in 2012 in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology reported that if individuals were told that the white coat they were wearing was a doctor's coat, they were more confident and therefore made fewer mistakes on tests. However, if they were told that the white coat was that of a painter, the effects were the opposite. This is because If the coat is a doctor's coat, it implies a certain status.
Other studies published by Northwestern University (Illinois) showed that putting on a white coat – a doctor’s coat – increases the attention span of volunteers who make half as many mistakes as those who wear no white coat. Although the results may seem conclusive, we should not be hasty in their conclusions, since there was a third group that was given white coats – and told they were wall painters – and so this concentration was largely lost.
Fashion psychology even in the consulting room?
Yes. As psychologists, The white coat is not part of our professional identity just as it does for doctors. But we must not forget that in the consultation it is also important to take into account how others perceive us.
This is directly linked to the color psychologyFor example, although wearing red provides intensity and action in the case of sports, it would not be advisable for a psychologist to wear that color because it reduces his creative capacity. The same occurs when we wear clothes or accessories that are not what they seem because it reduces our abilities. According to a study published in Psychological Science, it is indicated that the individual who knows that he is wearing a fraudulent garment feels insecure and tends to behave unethically. On the other hand, the person wearing the original garment has a higher level of confidence because the body is in agreement with the mind.
In conclusion, the clothes we wear as psychologists condition our thoughts. Therefore, if you are a competent and rational colleague, you should dress very formally, while if you are more friendly and relaxed, you can dress casually.
What would fashion psychologists say we should do to feel better?
- A well-cut dress made from good fabric lifts your spirits.
- Abstract or polka dot prints remind us of happy moments of childhood.
- Mismatched combinations are brain-stimulating, providing novelty and surprise.
- Loose clothing and flat shoes are associated with travel and adventure.
- Sky blue, green and yellow remind us of nature and protect us from negative emotions.
- Linen, cotton, silk and wool enliven our approach to nature.
- Wearing jewelry makes you feel special because of the memories associated with each piece.