Does Wearing a Lab Coat Make You Smarter?

By Jordie Papa

Image by Uniform Destinations

Have you ever heard the old saying, “Perception is reality?” This concept translates to everything from making politicians seem less shifty and more knowledgeable to which brand of toothbrush you buy.  In short, we are a species that is more driven by what we believe is real than reality itself.  This is one phenomenon that drives credibility when it comes to the way in which medical professionals dress.  For instance, does wearing a lab coat make you appear smarter?

This isn’t as crazy a concept as you might think.  Serious studies have been conducted on the topic over the years.  But before I describe the results of these studies, I thought I’d take the time to point out one salient fact: The reason doctors started wearing white lab coats at the end of the 19^th Century was expressly for appearance sake.  Prior to that, western medical practitioners had something of an image problem.  Even though that period hosted a number of medical breakthroughs in everything from treating diseases like cholera to general concepts concerned with stopping the spread of germs, most medical practices and practitioners were regarded as little more than quacks.

Back then, physicians dressed in black.  They did this to emphasize the solemnity of the medical profession. The only people who wore white coats in the 1800’s were scientists who toiled in laboratories. (Hence the term Lab Coat.)  On the other hand, the only other professionals who routinely wore black were undertakers.  Not surprisingly, this created the public perception that physicians and surgeons were associated with death.  To alleviate this macabre connection, the decision was made to switch to white coats.

Image courtesy of wikipedia

Once medical professionals exchanged their black coats for white, their status soon improved. Within 15 years of the introduction of white lab coats, doctors were perceived as not only embracing scientific rigor by the public at large, they were also perceived as being cleaner and purer.  It is probably no coincidence that the saying, Cleanliness is next to godliness” had its origin at the end of the 19^th Century.  Even more incredible than a simple change of perception by the public was a notable evolution within the industry itself.  As early as 1910, there was a call to implement higher admission standards and graduation requirements in medical schools from coast to coast.  It seems perception had once again become reality.

Reality, as we know it, is subjective at best. For instance, in one study conducted by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 99 volunteers were given white lab coats.  Two thirds of them were told the garments were doctor’s lab coats, while the other third was told the garments were painter’s smocks.  Afterwards, all the subjects were all shown a series of images and asked to identify the differences between them. Those who were told they were wearing lab coats identified more differences than those told they were wearing an artist’s smock. These results led the researchers conducting the study to conclude that the experience of wearing a white lab coat was sufficient to alter cognitive ability.  They also coined the term “enclothed cognition” to describe the influence clothes have on the wearer’s psychological processes.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103112000200

These results seem to fly in the face of the current trend in the medical profession, which in many cases seems to be focused on limiting or even phasing out the wearing of white lab coats.  For years, surgeons in particular have shunned lab coats, preferring to wear green or blue scrubs, while complaining that white coats cause eye strain under the harsh lights of an operating theater.  Pediatricians have also begun to shy away from white coats, fearing that their young patients may find it intimidating.  Recent studies have debated over whether lab coats themselves can cause physical harm to patients by harboring infectious agents such as MRSA.  Other studies have shown that there is no difference between long sleeved lab coats and short sleeved scrubs when it came to transmitting contamination.

Image courtesy of Designer Lab Coats

While perceptions change from time to time, this doesn’t mean the lab coat is on life support.  Far from it.  Within the past few years, medical professionals and fashion designers have rethought the lab coat.  In 2014, Dr. Leslie Letterman, herself a physician, decided to do something about the garment she felt “fit me like a tent.”  Gathering a group of women physicians, she determined it was time to transform a garment that had changed little in 100 years.

The result was called the Signature Lab Coat. Gone was the one-size-fits-all traditional lab coat.  In its place was a garment designed by woman doctors for women doctors.  It introduced a number of innovative features.  One of these is a built-in fabric wallet that allows physicians to carry cash and credit cards, since it’s impossible to tote a purse around on rounds. There are also a number of custom-designed keepers that help busy doctors find such things as medical instruments, pens, pagers and cellphones without having to fumble around in their pockets.  There is even a Velcro flap on the epaulet that is designed specifically to secure a stethoscope.

Since that time, a number of other designers of medical uniforms have jumped on the band wagon.  They have taken the time to redesign their lab coats to be more feature-rich and fashionable than ever before.  This means that the venerable lab coat has not only become more user-friendly, but it’s here to stay.

(Jordie, feel free to add a brief paragraph here extolling the virtues of the lab coats and brand names you carry at Uniform Destination.)

If you want to change your perception when it comes to modern medical lab coats, feel free to stop by any of our 3 Uniform Destination locations in Jacksonville, Orange Park or St. Augustine, Florida.  Because when it comes to raising your patient’s perceptions, we have just what the doctor ordered.

Jordie Papa owns and operates Uniform Destination in Jacksonville, Orange Park and St. Augustine, Florida.  For more information on her locations go to http://www.uniformdestinations.com