In my work I focus on the (social) psychological underpinnings of human clothing behavior. Clothing behavior occurs in almost every aspect of social life, even in contexts where it might be expendable (e.g., wearing pajamas when we sleep). Moreover, social roles, norms, and stereotypes appear interlaced with the attire we wear. Clothing is both culturally universal und uniquely human. However, basic empirical research on the social psychological role of clothing is sparse. Therefore, through my research I aim to establish the field of clothing psychology.

In my research, I investigate clothing using a person perception approach (e.g., do vestimentary cues operate as social signals that drive social categorizations, impression formation, and face perception?). Furthermore, I am researching the field of enclothed cognition, implying an embodiment of stereotypes attached to clothing (e.g., do people internalize the symbolic meaning of the garments they wear, and does it modulate behavioral outcomes?). Finally, I am interested in finding out how the functionalities offered by clothing expand to the psychological level (e.g., does clothing’s functionality of physical protection protection similarly offer a symbolic shield from psychological consequences of existential threats?).

Kachel, S., & Gruber, R. (2022, September 14). We Are All Born Naked and the Rest is Drag: Investigating the Vestimentary Communication of Gender and Sexual Orientation [Conference presentation]. 52^th Congress of the German Psychological Society, Hildesheim, Germany.

Gruber, R., Kachel, S., Häfner, M. (2022, September 12). The Dressed Ape: An Evolutionary Psychological Investigation of Clothing’s (De-) Humanizing Power [Conference presentation]. 52^th Congress of the German Psychological Society, Hildesheim, Germany.

Gruber, R., & Kachel, S. (2022, January 22). Dressing through Crisis: Predicting Systematic Dress Style Alterations in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic through Terror Management Theory [Conference presentation]. Scientific Congress on Economical- and Social Scientific Research Concerning the Covid-19-Pandemic, Bonn, Germany.