I never thought about that way before, but there's actually quite some potential in what you're saying. I've been on work all day, so it might be a bit hard to give a comprehensible reply, but I'll do my best.
The term 'anchoring' is widely used by coaches, shrinks, professional sales people, in NLP (neuro linguistic programing) and the like. It refers to anchoring a certain feeling/emotion to a certain stimulus - be it a word, sound, touch, smell etc.
Everybody has 'natural' anchors. E.g. a kiss is usually anchored with good feelings. Also, if your mother used to pat you a certain way on your neck when you were little, or you boy/girl-friend used to caress you a certain way, good feelings will be anchored to that certain touch. That means that if you get touched/caressed that way, you will feel really nice inside.
A person who is profident with anchoring can anchor good feelings to a certain touch/sound/smell/etc. very effectively and quickly.
But anchoring is not only limited to kinaesthetics (touching). It also extends to sound (laughter will lighten your mood), smell (the smell of your mother's cookies from when you were little will make you all warm and content inside), sound (remember that very special song that was played the first time you met your special someone? Makes you all happy, doesn't it?).
That's the reason why it is not recommended to read in bed if you have trouble sleeping. On the contrary. Stay out of bed until you almost can't stay awake. When you're about to fall asleep, you can go to bed. Every time you're going to bed, play a certain CD on low volume. Do that for two weeks. By then you will have anchored your bed and the music to sleep. That way, when you go to bed and play that music, your body will automatically and quickly start to prepare for sleep.
Of course, this isn't limited to your bed. Find yourself a certain pair of shoes and a certain parfume. Put them/it on every time you're very concentrated and focused on something. Take it off when you start to loose your concentration. Do this several times and you've anchored it. That way you can study even on days when you're restless and can't stop thinking/worrying about stuff. Put on the scent and shoes and your mind will start thinking that now it must sharpen up. You can also do that when it comes to exams. Anchor good emotions of self-secureness and the like an amulet and a scent. That way you'll be less nervous when the time comes.
I have acquaintaces who use anchoring every time they go party. They don't drink alcohol. But every time they're 'in state' - in an extremely happy/party-like mood, they'll shout something (called an encantantion in NLP terminology) and press/touch/caress themself in a chosen anchor-point. This way, every time they're about to party, they shout the encantation and use the kinaesthetic anchor and instantly get into the right mood - the state. And of course, when they use it, they party better, and when they're having the best time of the night, they do it again - to anchor the emotion - again. This way you can actually build a pretty solid anchor.
This is very effective. But it's not some kind of wonder potion. It can't change who you are. And it takes some time/skill to anchor properly.
Just wondering if anyone else associates doing certain activities in certain clothes? I'm noticing increasingly (as I procrastinate more....!) that there are certain clothes I just don't feel I can be academic in. So much so that i wonder if I can train myself to associate certain clothes with studying so much that I will be compelled to study when I am in 
But I think if you extrapolate this, it's not so laughable. Certain sports players have 'lucky' clothing items which perhaps when they wear, they train themselves to do their best......so does anyone else wear certain clothing to produce a desired effect from within themselves?! Or am I just procrastinating too much? 
Although when I first read the title I thought: dressing like a dog? 
