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ReportsWashing Away Your Sins: Threatened Morality and Physical Cleansing
Physical cleansing has been a focal element in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. The prevalence of this practice suggests a psychological association between bodily purity and moral purity. In three studies, we explored what we call the "Macbeth effect"—that is, a threat to one's moral purity induces the need to cleanse oneself. This effect revealed itself through an increased mental accessibility of cleansing-related concepts, a greater desire for cleansing products, and a greater likelihood of taking antiseptic wipes. Furthermore, we showed that physical cleansing alleviates the upsetting consequences of unethical behavior and reduces threats to one's moral self-image. Daily hygiene routines such as washing hands, as simple and benign as they might seem, can deliver a powerful antidote to threatened morality, enabling people to truly wash away their sins.
1 Department of Organizational Behavior and HR Management, Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E6, Canada.
2 Department of Management and Organizations, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60208, USA. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: chenbo.zhong{at}rotman.utoronto.ca
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)
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