There’s a famous psychological study in which students were asked to participate in an experiment in which they were assigned the role of either an officer or an inmate. The students were not told to act in any particular way outside of being told what role in which they would be placed. Soon, the interactions between the two groups reflected the stereotyped dynamic we perceive between officers and prisoners (e.g., officers began to be unkind towards the prisoners, prisoners began showing signs of depression). They actually had to end the study early because they were afraid of the psychological effect it was having on the participants.

I even noticed how a different shape and clothing can change my attitude last night. All day yesterday, I was working on shapes and then taking pictures for the vendors. I created a thin neko shape and dressed her in some of my grungier clothing, attached eyebrow and lip rings, and I even had a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Because I liked the way the shape turned out, I wore it around all last night while I went out exploring/shopping. At one store, I was approached by a tactless male avie asking for sex (imagine that), and as I sat wondering how to get rid of him, I really felt like telling him to f**k off (I didn’t), which is something that I’m not sure would have really come into my mind in my normal shape. This did seem like an appropriate response for the shape I was wearing and the role associated with it, though.

And, one day, I really will get around to blogging my thought on the gender/identity/sexuality topic.