I waited a few hours after my white coat ceremony to actually take off the white coat, and wore it proudly home and around my apartment. Wearing the coat made me feel especially respectable, and like people on the street were looking at me differently.
Turns out, I was on to something. Scientists studying enclothed cognition discovered, “If you wear a white coat that you believe belongs to a doctor, your ability to pay attention increases sharply. But if you wear the same white coat believing it belongs to a painter, you will show no such improvement.”
Seeing the coat is not enough, but wearing it and being aware of its symbolism, caused people to pay better attention on a few experimental tests.
I can’t wait to wear my white coat again next week on my hospital field trip, but I may also consider wearing it when studying for my next mid-term!