This study was designed to examine college students' perceptions of themselves when wearing Halloween costumes. Students from two colleges were surveyed over a 5-yr. period (1978–1982). The sample included 805 women and 448 men, for a total of 1,253 respondents. Analysis indicates significant associations between the perceptions of one's role and identity at Halloween and dressing in costume. College women were less likely than men to disguise their identity. The women were also less likely than the men to believe they had new identities with their costumes or to believe they could play different roles at Halloween.
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