WE ARE WHAT WE WEAR: THE EMERGENCE OF CONSENSUS IN STEREOTYPES OF STUDENTS' AND MANAGERS' DRESSING STYLES

Abstract

This paper presents an experiment demonstrating that the way in which students stereotype themselves and managers in terms of dressing style becomes more consensual when these stereotypes are (i) formed within an intergroup context, and (ii) created via interaction premised upon shared social identity. This is because the way people dress is often related to their collective identity (Davis, 1992), and because dressing styles may be used as a potent symbol of shared beliefs and values. These findings are consistent with the analysis of stereotyping put forward by self-categorization theorists.