Neuroscience
We talk about “washing away” our sins and “feeling dirty” after doing something naughty, but is this just a quirk of our language, or are moral and physical cleanliness really intertwined?
Chen-Bo Zhong and Katie Liljenquist first demonstrated that the two concepts really are linked in our minds. Participants asked to recall a recent unethical deed they had committed were subsequently more likely to convert word fragments (e.g. W__H) into a cleansing-related word (e.g. WASH vs. WISH) than were participants who recalled something ethical they had done.
Furthermore, participants who recalled an unethical deed were more likely than participants who recalled an ethical deed (67 per cent vs. 33 per cent), to choose an antiseptic wipe as a free gift rather than a pencil.
And it seems physical cleansing can actually clear our moral conscience. A different set of participants were again asked to describe something unethical they had done in the past. Some of them were then offered an antiseptic wipe to clean their hands. Next, all the participants were asked to volunteer to help a research student who desperately needed participants. Remarkably, fewer of the participants who’d wiped their hands clean volunteered – 41 per cent of them did compared with 74 per cent of the participants who hadn’t cleaned their hands. Apparently, their moral stains having been washed away, the participants who’d cleaned their hands subsequently felt less of a compulsion to compensate for their previous unethical deed.
The findings raise intriguing questions about the effect washing might have on people’s future moral behaviour. “Would cleansing ironically license unethical behaviour?”, the researchers asked. “It remains to be seen whether clean hands really do make a pure heart, but our studies indicate that they at least provide a clean conscience after moral trespass” they said.
__________________________________
Zhong, C-B. & Liljenquist, K. (2006). Washing away your sins: Threatened morality and physical cleansing. Science, 313, 1451-1452.
Post written by Christian Jarrett (@psych_writer) for the BPS Research Digest.
- Toilet Psychology: Why Do Men Wash Their Hands Less Than Women?
The spread of super-resistant bacteria means the science of hand-washing behaviour has become a serious business. Psychologists have stepped up to the plate. Bowl, I should say. By hiding in toilet cubicles for a new study, they've observed how long...
- Not So Easy To Spot: A Failure To Replicate The Macbeth Effect Across Three Continents
"Out, damned spot!" cries a guilt-ridden Lady Macbeth as she desperately washes her hands in the vain pursuit of a clear conscience. Consistent with Shakespeare's celebrated reputation as an astute observer of the human psyche, a wealth of contemporary...
- People Make More Moral Decisions When They Think Their Heart Is Racing
Why did the proverbial Good Samaritan cross the road to help the injured stranger? Perhaps he listened to his heart. Not in the poetic sense, but literally. A new study by Jun Gu and his colleagues has highlighted the way cardiac feedback influences people's...
- For Christians, Dawkins And The Qur'an Leave A Bad Taste In The Mouth, Literally
Many studies have shown that moral disgust is "embodied". Contemplation of taboo deeds really does leave people physically sickened. Now Ryan Ritter and Jesse Preston have extended this literature to show that religious beliefs that contradict one's...
- Physical Warmth Affects Our Judgments Of Others And Our Behaviour Towards Them
We often draw on physical metaphors when we think and talk about our feelings. We might describe someone as having a warm heart. Or we'll speak of a wrong-doer as washing their hands of a crime. Past research has shown that this mental link with the...
Neuroscience
Your conscience really can be wiped clean
We talk about “washing away” our sins and “feeling dirty” after doing something naughty, but is this just a quirk of our language, or are moral and physical cleanliness really intertwined?Chen-Bo Zhong and Katie Liljenquist first demonstrated that the two concepts really are linked in our minds. Participants asked to recall a recent unethical deed they had committed were subsequently more likely to convert word fragments (e.g. W__H) into a cleansing-related word (e.g. WASH vs. WISH) than were participants who recalled something ethical they had done.
Furthermore, participants who recalled an unethical deed were more likely than participants who recalled an ethical deed (67 per cent vs. 33 per cent), to choose an antiseptic wipe as a free gift rather than a pencil.
And it seems physical cleansing can actually clear our moral conscience. A different set of participants were again asked to describe something unethical they had done in the past. Some of them were then offered an antiseptic wipe to clean their hands. Next, all the participants were asked to volunteer to help a research student who desperately needed participants. Remarkably, fewer of the participants who’d wiped their hands clean volunteered – 41 per cent of them did compared with 74 per cent of the participants who hadn’t cleaned their hands. Apparently, their moral stains having been washed away, the participants who’d cleaned their hands subsequently felt less of a compulsion to compensate for their previous unethical deed.
The findings raise intriguing questions about the effect washing might have on people’s future moral behaviour. “Would cleansing ironically license unethical behaviour?”, the researchers asked. “It remains to be seen whether clean hands really do make a pure heart, but our studies indicate that they at least provide a clean conscience after moral trespass” they said.
__________________________________
Zhong, C-B. & Liljenquist, K. (2006). Washing away your sins: Threatened morality and physical cleansing. Science, 313, 1451-1452.
Post written by Christian Jarrett (@psych_writer) for the BPS Research Digest.
- Toilet Psychology: Why Do Men Wash Their Hands Less Than Women?
The spread of super-resistant bacteria means the science of hand-washing behaviour has become a serious business. Psychologists have stepped up to the plate. Bowl, I should say. By hiding in toilet cubicles for a new study, they've observed how long...
- Not So Easy To Spot: A Failure To Replicate The Macbeth Effect Across Three Continents
"Out, damned spot!" cries a guilt-ridden Lady Macbeth as she desperately washes her hands in the vain pursuit of a clear conscience. Consistent with Shakespeare's celebrated reputation as an astute observer of the human psyche, a wealth of contemporary...
- People Make More Moral Decisions When They Think Their Heart Is Racing
Why did the proverbial Good Samaritan cross the road to help the injured stranger? Perhaps he listened to his heart. Not in the poetic sense, but literally. A new study by Jun Gu and his colleagues has highlighted the way cardiac feedback influences people's...
- For Christians, Dawkins And The Qur'an Leave A Bad Taste In The Mouth, Literally
Many studies have shown that moral disgust is "embodied". Contemplation of taboo deeds really does leave people physically sickened. Now Ryan Ritter and Jesse Preston have extended this literature to show that religious beliefs that contradict one's...
- Physical Warmth Affects Our Judgments Of Others And Our Behaviour Towards Them
We often draw on physical metaphors when we think and talk about our feelings. We might describe someone as having a warm heart. Or we'll speak of a wrong-doer as washing their hands of a crime. Past research has shown that this mental link with the...