Formal or Informal? The Impact of Style of Dress and Forms of Address on Business Students' Perceptions of Professors

Abstract

In this article, the authors examine the effects of style of dress, forms of address, and gender of the stimulus person on business students' perceptions of professors' attributes. Student participants (125 women, 132 men) rated the stimulus person on indexes of attractiveness, trustworthiness, credibility, and likeability. Style of dress and form of address resulted in significant differences in ratings of the professor's trustworthiness, expertise, and likeability. The authors also found significant Gender x Style of Dress and Gender x Form of Address interactions. Suggestions for future researchers include the use of additional stimulus person information and the inclusion of independent variables such as professor approachability, willingness of students to confide in professors, and students' willingness to participate in classroom discussions.

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