The existence of a black clothing stereotype: The impact of a victim' black clothing on impression formation

Abstract

The present experiment examined the existence of a black clothing stereotype in victims reports concerning sexual harrassment. The black clothing stereotype is concerned with the idea that people who are dressed in black make a dishonest and aggressive impression. Observer characteristics such as gender and the acceptance of sexual harrassment myths were investigated in order to find out whether this stereotype exists in different kind of people or only in subgroups (such as males or people high in sexual harrassment myths acceptance). In the experiment, 59 observers (college students) were exposed to a video-taped account of a victim of sexual harrassment. The victim wore either black or light clothing. The outcomes revealed the existence of the black clothing stereotype. Moreover, this stereotype existed in all groups and not only in subgroups. The practical implications of the findings are discussed.