The Psychology of Costumes: Why Players Feel Braver in Gear

When a player dons armor, antlers, or a cloak, even digital ones, their demeanor changes. They sit up straighter. They make bolder decisions. Something subtle but powerful happens: the costume rewires how they feel.

For decades, psychologists have been studying how what we wear influences who we become. In the world of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), this phenomenon explains why stepping into costume, virtual or physical, can turn a hesitant player into a fearless hero.

And it’s exactly the psychology that powers Faes AR.

1. Enclothed Cognition: What You Wear Shapes How You Think

In 2012, researchers Adam and Galinsky from Northwestern University coined the term enclothed cognition. They discovered that the symbolic meaning of clothing directly affects psychological processes. Participants who wore a lab coat performed better on attention tasks but only when they believed it was a doctor’s coat, not a painter’s smock.

Clothing doesn’t just change how others see us; it changes how we see ourselves.

When players equip digital armor or a sorcerer’s robe through AR, they’re triggering the same mental process. That layer of visual identity acts as a cognitive cue: You are no longer yourself; you are the character.

The result? Enhanced confidence, immersion, and emotional alignment with the role.

2. The Proteus Effect: Behavior Follows the Avatar

The “Proteus Effect,” first studied by Yee and Bailenson (Stanford University, 2007), refers to the phenomenon where a person’s behavior conforms to their digital avatar’s characteristics. Participants who used taller or more attractive avatars in virtual worlds became more assertive and confident, even after the simulation ended.

When applied to TTRPGs, the implications are fascinating.

A player who visually becomes their armored paladin via Faes AR might be  more likely to make courageous in-game choices, stand up for allies, and speak with authority. The armor isn’t just decoration, it’s a psychological frame.

Simply seeing yourself as the hero helps you act like one.

3. Costumes as Emotional Anchors

Costumes, whether material or digital, provide an anchor for emotional and behavioral consistency. In theatre and therapy alike, the act of dressing up helps separate the “role” from the “self.”

For role-players, the same holds true. A camera feed showing you as a goblin rogue instead of a Zoom-tired human gives permission to act with freedom. It reduces social inhibition and encourages risk-taking, both key ingredients of memorable storytelling.

4. Cognitive Distance Creates Emotional Safety

There’s also a subtle psychological mechanism at play: cognitive distance. When players see a visually distinct character on screen, it’s easier to take emotional risks because “that’s my character, not me.”

Therapists use similar techniques in drama therapy and expressive arts therapy, allowing clients to explore identity and emotion through fictional personas. In a sense, role-playing in AR could be  a safe sandbox for courage.

Faes AR amplifies this by giving that persona visual life with armor and presence. Once you see your character, your brain naturally begins to defend, express, and act through them.

5. The Social Feedback Loop: Recognition Reinforces Behavior

Humans respond strongly to feedback from others. When fellow players react to your AR-enhanced appearance, commenting on your intimidating armor or celestial glow, that validation reinforces the identity you’re portraying.

Social psychologists call this self-perception theory: we infer who we are from observing how others respond to us. When your party treats you as the paladin they see, you internalize that identity even more deeply.

That’s how Faes AR transforms a video call into a collaborative theater of the mind - one where every costume choice becomes a psychological cue for group immersion.

6. Why It Matters

Modern TTRPGs thrive on imagination, but imagination alone sometimes falters over a webcam. The psychological science of embodiment shows us that visual reinforcement, through costumes, avatars, or AR, bridges the gap between pretending and becoming.

When you put on your character’s gear, you’re not escaping reality - you’re extending it. You’re giving form to a piece of your psyche that craves expression, courage, and story.

In a stressful world, that small act of transformation, seeing yourself as the hero, can be its own quiet kind of escape.

The Faes AR Mission

Faes AR was built on this exact insight: that role-playing isn’t just about dice and dialogue, it’s about identity.

By merging learnings from psychology, design, and augmented reality, we aim to help players see themselves as the heroes they already imagine.

Because when you wear your story, bravery becomes second nature.