I agree with you for me, Gabriela, that I am still me, that I still think the same way whether I am dressed or not.
However, I think that for many, there is a switch, one which not only changes outward behavior to fit in, but changes their way of thinking about the world. A few months ago, there was a poll question which asked “When you are dressed as a lady, do you feel differently about men?” (currently on page 12 of the poll forum). Note the question is about feeling, so it is similar to integration versus there being a switch. Before I give you the results, I’ll summarize my reply (and one I may have used other places as well).
I once asked my friend why she refers to me by my female name even when I’m completely in male mode. She answered me with a rhetorical question, Is your mom still your mom when she isn’t wearing makeup? I have asked a corollary (and ridiculously sounding) question, does your mom/wife/SO/girlfriend suddenly have a desire for women when they are wearing pants?
Yet when I look at the poll, with currently 747 votes, an overwhelmingly 2/3 say yes. Even with this not being a scientific poll, that is a high enough number in my book to tell me that there are a significant number of people whose do feel this switch, feel they are not integrated but two separate personalities. Something goes through their head that changes them internally, and not just what image they project to the world.
Sure, 1/3 of the people don’t feel any different, and that isn’t an insignificant fraction. But my experience with this (and other similar) polls is that for some people, they definitely think differently about things when dressed.
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