"Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good"

Picasso's Girl before a Mirror from moma.org

That is what my high school physics teacher always told us. He was a huge proponent of dressing up on the day of an exam to boost your confidence.

In college, I'll admit this didn't always happen. Who wants to throw on their best outfit after being awake for a couple days straight? No one. Masochists, maybe. This all came flooding back to me while I was watching random TV episodes on Hulu (GRE study break, forgive me...). I happened upon an episode of a show called "Unleased by Garo" where a fashion designer custom makes outfits for individuals who are looking for a "change". He professes himself to be not only a fashion designer, but a therapist. He claims his art heals people. At first I shook my head and thought, "This guy's nuts." But after seeing his clients' reactions to their transformations, I began to contemplate the possibility.

The idea of image transformation as therapy (or a self-esteem boost) is nothing new. Television producers have capitalized on the concept for years with shows like "What Not to Wear". It's even part of our everyday knowledge (i.e. how to dress for an interview). What I find most interesting is the choice to transform the image rather than the individual (the physical body). Transforming someone's image with the right clothing cuts and makeup is much easier than losing weight and MUCH cheaper than plastic surgery, but which is more effective in the long run?

There is a wealth of literature on both topics, but I struggled to find anything that compares their long-term psychological effects. Looking at this through the scope of learning and human development (my areas of interest) you can think about how self-esteem influences motivation and in turn how motivation influences classroom performance (which is the point my physics teacher was trying to make). There is also a ton of research on student motivation, so you can check out those articles if you're interested.

My last thought concerns the influence image and body have on each other, if any. Is it the case that first transforming the superficial image could lead to a self-esteem and motivation boost, which someone could use to fuel a body change? Would an image or body change alone be enough? Perhaps this is something that could be useful to doctors, nutritionists, and therapists who are fighting "America's war on obesity," in terms of motivating patients to adopt a more healthy lifestyle.

Anyone have any thoughts or recommended readings? Think I'm nuts?