New hair new me : embodied effects of hair-cutting on emotions experienced

Abstract

Hair-cutting is a common ritual within the cultural milieu, an observation thought to alleviate negative emotions from an unpleasant past. This present study empirically investigated whether hair-cutting does indeed alleviate negative emotions associated with past regretful experiences, and whether this effect can be explained by psychological distancing between one’s past selves from present self. I hypothesized that among participants who recalled a past regretful experience, those who cut their hair (vs. trimmed their nails) should experience reduced negative emotions associated with those past regrets (H1), and perceive their past selves as psychologically farther from the present (H2). A field study was conducted with forty-six female participants. All expressed interest in undergoing either a haircut (i.e., haircutting condition) or a nails appointment (i.e., nails-trimming condition) at their preferred salons. Participants were first asked to recall either a past regretful or neutral experience, before they underwent their preferred hair or nails appointment. Afterwards, participants completed the negative emotions and psychological distancing measures, and then demographics. Contrary to predictions, results indicated no differences between participants who cut their hair and those who trimmed their nails in reported negative emotional reactions (p = .655) and perceived psychological distance between past and present selves (p = .323). I discuss limitations of this study and propose recommendations for improvement in future research.