ABSTRACT
We examined the effect of different clothing styles on the perceptions of African American men. Using a between-group design, we tested whether participants perception of African American models wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts (“swagger”), clothing showing they won an event, or formal clothing, would vary. Participants (N = 143) viewed four African American models in one of three conditions. Multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA) with Symbolic Racism Scale scores as a covariate revealed that participants rated models in Formal clothing significantly higher than models in winning clothing in intelligence, p <.001, trustworthiness, p <.001, and warmth p =.005. Models wearing formal clothing or winning clothing were also rated significantly higher than models wearing swagger clothing on several traits. Participant’s Symbolic Racism Score significantly affected their ratings of models. Results suggest that the clothing that an African American wears, as well as viewer prejudice, affects the impression that the viewer makes.
Acknowledgment
We thank Cody Newton for his help designing the study and collecting data.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Data availability statement
The data described in this article are openly available in the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/qytak/.
Open scholarship
This article has earned the Center for Open Science badge for Open Data and Open Materials. The data and materials are openly accessible at https://osf.io/qytak/.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Regan A. R. Gurung
Regan A. R. Gurung is Director of the General Psychology program and the Center for Teaching and Learning at Oregon State University.
Rosalyn Stoa
Rosalyn Stoa is completing her Bachelor’s of Science degree at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Nicholas Livingston
Nicholas Livingston is a graduate student in the counseling psychology program and the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Hannah Mather
Hannah Mather is completing her Bachelor’s of Science degree at Oregon State University.