The impact of how physicians self-present: A study of gender and attire effects on perceived warmth and competence

We aimed to replicate the idea that physicians' self-presentation characteristics (i.e. formal vs. informal attire) and gender (i.e. men vs. women) influence perceptions of their warmth and competence. Further, we aimed to extend this line of work by examining how these relationships are moderated by trust in physicians.

We conducted a 2 (physician gender: men vs. women) × 2 (self-presentation: formal vs. informal attire) experiment using publicly available physician images.

Students (N = 734) were randomly assigned to rate five physician images from a pool of 20 stimuli across physician gender and attire conditions. Participants rated physicians on warmth and competence, and then completed a trust in physicians scale. Linear mixed models evaluated main effects and interaction effects for self-presentation, gender and physician trust.

Physicians in formal attire (white lab coats) were perceived as warmer and more competent than those in informal attire (casual or informal wear). Women physicians were rated as warmer, but not more competent than men physicians. Two-way interaction effects revealed formal attire enhanced perceptions of men physicians more than women on average. Three-way interaction effects indicated trust in physicians moderated these results, with women physicians' ratings being more dependent on participants' general trust levels, particularly for those with lower trust in the medical profession.

We replicated and extended this literature by demonstrating how physician gender and patient trust levels moderate self-presentation effects. For physicians, understanding a patient's relationship with the medical establishment may help to inform their self-presentation choices.