Counselor Dress Cues

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Abstract
American Indian and Caucasian high school students were compared as they assessed counselors' empathy, warmth, genuineness, and concreteness as conveyed through six pairs of male and female counselor dress. The students from the two cultures differed in their perceptions of each of the counseling conditions based on the counselors' attire. Students' perceptions did not differ with the sex of the student or, except for empathy, with the sex of the counselor. The results contributed to identification of clothing dimensions useful for under-standing cultural similarities and differences in nonverbal communication through dress. Further study of clothing dimensions of cultural specificity, regional uniqueness, and fashionability was recommended.