One of the best things about the scientific field of psychology is that there is such a vast array of potential research and thus so much unexplored territory. Every stimulus in our environment can be studied in relation to the mind and, if given the proper measures, empirical conclusions could be drawn about each one of them. For this reason I have decided to touch on a potential topic of psychology that is probably not so high on the priority list for experimental psychologists - and this is the topic of haircuts.
Why Discuss Haircuts?
The psychology of haircuts is probably not something that could ever lead to applicable or practical use in the real world, but this doesn't change the knowledge that could be drawn from such an investigation. The study of haircuts from a psychological perspective is a pursuit of knowledge for the sole sake of knowledge and little else.
When I came up with the idea to discuss the psychology of haircuts I didn't plan to do much research on the subject, figuring that the research had not been done. I did happen to search through a couple academic databases, as well as Google and some Internet search engines, but nothing truly remarkable was explored between the relation of psychology and hair. I did however find a couple pop psychology articles in fashion magazines and also a mention of popular hairstyles in persuasion. Ultimately, I am not interested in these superficial connections between the mind and haircuts. Instead I would like to meditate deeper on haircuts and their psychological impact on the individual.
Anecdotal Empiricism And The Psychology Of Haircuts
Science doesn't begin with an experiment; one first needs a hypothesis to test. One typically gets to a hypothesis either by studying previous research on the subject (which I have already claimed there to be none on the topic of the psychology of haircuts) or one can base a hypothesis based on their personal experience, otherwise known as anecdotal empiricism.
Hard scientists often frown upon anecdotal empiricism (which is more or less a composite of folk psychology and introspection). But there is good reason to believe that our intuitions about folk psychology hold more than a grain of salt when compared to other folk sciences. This is actually revealing about a certain quality of the mind, and also why those who only treat psychology as a natural science often miss the bigger picture.
Folk science at one point would include the belief that the sun revolved around the Earth and other erroneous assumptions. On the subject of the mind, however, it is more reasonable to assume that our perceptions are more or less accurate of the behaviors of other minds. From an evolutionary point of view, minds evolve to predict the behaviors of other minds in order to maximize survival and reproductive opportunities. With this known, our minds are understood to have been designed and specifically tuned to pick up on patterns of behavior and the psychological states of the beings acting out these behaviors. In fact, studies have shown we are better at predicting the behaviors of our best friends then our friends would be able to predict about their very own selves.
On the subject of haircuts, however, the experience is mostly a personal one, and it must be noted that we all have the capability to be aware of our mental states better than any outside observer or neurological equipment currently developed due to our unique point of observation (the first-person).
The Psychological Nature Of The Haircut
One of the most intriguing characteristics of the haircut is that it constitutes a direct change of our body at an alarmingly quick speed. One minute we may have hair down to our knees, while the next we are completely bald. This kind of phenomenon causes immediate perceptual change of our body and self. But in fact, it usually takes a certain amount of time for our "new" self to comfortably sink in to our psyche. Here is an example,
After you get a haircut, have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror (perhaps later that day or the very next morning) and you experience a brief moment of shock at your new self? It's almost as if you had forgotten about your haircut and then were abruptly reminded of it as you were reacquainted face-to-face.
Haircuts don't only make an impact on our self-perceptions (which interestingly, and as noted, take time to conceive and absorb) but they also affect the perceptions of others on us. Have you ever had it happen where you got a haircut very atypical to what you normally receive and when in the presence of a friend, he or she states something along the lines of "Wow, it's just so different...I am going to have to get used to it." That line - "have to get used to it" - is subconscious-driven language for "my mind is going to need to reconceptualize my perceptions of you (as a novel stimulus) before I get familiar again with this new you."
Why does the mind react so strongly to something as simple and harmless as a haircut? This again can be understood if we take an evolutionary perspective. The mind is trained to adapt to its surroundings by picking up significant differences in the environment, and then builds new and useful associations around these differences. For example, if you walked outside one day and the grass was purple and the sky was green, you would immediately pick up on these differences because they are peculiar, novel, and not familiar associations established between the set of stimuli in your previous experiences.
One of the most important stimuli in our environment is our fellow man. Specifically, we are inclined to judge the appearances of others to determine their health, as well as their social value. For these reasons we are very in-tuned to picking up differences, especially with familiar faces of friends, family, and coworkers. This may explain why a new haircut is such a salient stimulus when it first enters our environment.
I imagine that if haircuts were an actual field of study and concern that it would probably break down into two sub-branches: men and women. The reason for this is that the haircut means different things when you compare the majority of men with the majority of women. Most men have short hair and thus do not usually put much thought into their hair before getting it cut. When they get a haircut, it is very often a minor trim, not straying to far from the norm of what they usually get.
Women seem to always be more concerned about appearances then guys (this is probably a mixture of both biological and social factors). Especially in cultures in the West - women have more options to choose for haircuts, they put more time into preparing their hair on a daily basis - thus, it may be reasonable to assume that such things have greater psychological impact on females over males.
Hypotheses And Options for Scientific Research
There is plenty of room for speculation when it comes to the psychological effects of the haircut. For instance, one might presume that after a nice well-needed haircut that the recipient experiences a boost of confidence in his or her self-perception. On the contrary, a bad or embarrassing haircut could put a dent in someone's esteem and make them less confident.
This wouldn't be a hard thing to measure from a scientific standpoint; researchers could set up research-approved surveys designed to measure participant's mental health and give these exams both before and after a haircut and then note any significant statistical differences in their sample. This kind of research wouldn't provide any mental benefit insights that could be used in a clinical setting but it would be something fun and interesting to know (and perhaps it would also give others the incentive to go out and get the best haircut they can find to maximize their good feelings).
Research could also be done on the perceptions of others when you get a haircut. To what degrees can different haircuts make an impact on their perceptions?
Ending Statements
In the end, scientific research on the study of haircuts seems like a nil option when considering all the other potential directions psychologists could take. This doesn't change the fact that our world indeed contains a "psychology of haircuts" - but it is something that will ultimately be left to our own senses. Still, I hope that having read this you will ponder your haircuts in the future and perhaps even discover something that will surprise - perhaps even reveal something about yourself. If I can motivate others to ponder psychological questions outside of academic classes than I can at least say I played my part in expanding the frontiers of psychological analysis.