Ghost Stories: Study 9A: Uniform Retention and Group Conduct by Lucy Stokton

Study 9A: Uniform Retention and Group Conduct

Document Status: Internal Use Only  

Institution: County Durham Institute of Behavioural Biomechanics  

Date: 14 March, 2027  

Lead Researcher: Prof. W. Hall  

Funding Source: Department for Health 

1. Overview 

Study 9A examined the impact of legacy institutional garments on psychosocial behaviour, specifically the adoption of codified rituals among controlled participants. 

All 48 participants were recruited from correctional rehabilitation programmes, issued second-hand  girls' school uniforms sourced from defunct academies. Distribution was random. No uniform corresponded to participants’ gender identity, education history, or personal preference. 

Participants were instructed to wear the garments for three hours daily and attend weekly Reflection Evenings held in Hall B. 

2. Ritual Format 

Each evening required participants to bring a self-baked cake to share. Presentation occurred in  silence. Cakes were passed around the group without eye contact. Comments were permitted only  after tasting. 

No formal scoring system was introduced, yet by the second week, language patterns emerged: 

“Brave choice.”  

“Very you.”  

“Well, that was yours” 

Longer silences followed certain bites. Some participants began revising their recipes. Others  refused to eat at all. 

3. Behavioural Shifts 

By Week 3, participants began arriving earlier than instructed. Seating became territorial. Unspoken  hierarchies formed around perceived flavour profiles and presentation aesthetics. Those praised for their contribution often dominated later discussion. 

Observational notes include: 

• One participant licking only the outer edge of others’ cakes before declining to comment.

• A tendency to speak in collective terms: ‘We thought it was underbaked.”

• Apologies issued before feedback, regardless of tone.

While no explicit discomfort was recorded, the uniform appeared to shape posture, voice, and gesture. Several participants began addressing each other indirectly, as if via roles they hadn’t been  given. 

4. Incident 9A‑6 (“Autumn Quarter”) 

During the fourth Reflection Evening, three participants exhibited symptoms of acute internal trauma. No visible injuries were found. 

One cake was discovered to contain fragments of braided metal. 

No accusations were made. The group continued the evening as scheduled. Feedback was provided. One participant said, “This cake made sense.” 

5. Post-Termination 

Following withdrawal of funding, participants continued to meet off-site without instruction. A  privately circulated zine titled "Everything We Bring" was discovered online but removed. 

Of note: two subjects refused to return their uniforms. 

Prof. Hall resigned, stating in her final internal memo: 

“The garments provided a frame. What filled it was already there.” 

6. Addendum 

A man in a school uniform was filmed at a bus stop in Bishop Auckland. He appeared seated, calm, smoking a cigarette with a cake tin on his lap. 

Local authorities declined to intervene. 

End of Report 

(Prepared by Dr. R. Parmar, Acting Director, Behavioural Studies Division. This document is  available for public reference under the Behavioural Transparency Act, 2026.)

Lucy Stokton is a "writer" who works outside traditional systems - that is to say, she is dyslexic af and has always let people know in professional settings that she can't read or write. She wants to tell stories though and has nothing to lose. Based in London.