Washing Away Your Sins: Threatened Morality and Physical Cleansing
Top Cited Papers
- 8 September 2006
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 313 (5792) , 1451-1452
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1130726
Abstract
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.Keywords
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