No F's In Fashion

Can wearing a certain type of clothing help someone perform better on a test? According to recent studies done by California State University, the answer is yes. In many cases, students prefer to wear clothing that they feel comfortable in like a sweatshirt on test day. However, that may be one of the causes of students getting low test scores.

The study compared the test scores of sixty undergraduate students and the formality of their outfits. The students were asked to complete a ten question test that looked for whether students answered questions abstractly or concretely. The conclusion was that students wearing fancier and more formal clothes chose answers that were more abstract. Basically, this means that it is better to dress up for a test that is less formulaic and more abstract. Also, wearing “fancier” clothes tends to give people a confident vibe, resulting in better test scores as well. So, next time you have a test in English try swapping out sweats for a dress. A smaller study by Nautilus suggests dressing down when you have a test on something more detail-oriented. Next time you have a detailed test in history, don’t be afraid to throw on a sweatshirt.

While dressing up might not be the best strategy for math tests, this may help out students in more “abstract” classes and on more open-ended type question tests. For a math or engineering test it is found that students who dress down and more comfortable tend to perform better. An outfit can’t guarantee you an A, though, so it’s still good to do at least some studying. Sometimes little changes can result in big, positive things. Overall, there is no harm in changing up outfits especially if it can help a test grade.