First, if participants were allowed to use an antiseptic wipe after recalling a moral failure they were less helpful. Where 74 percent of the control participants agreed to help out the graduate student, only 41 percent of those who used a wipe agreed to assist. Second, when compared to controls, those using the antiseptic wipe reported fewer negative moral emotions (e.g., less shame, less guilt) after recalling their moral failure. In short, the Macbeth Effect was in force. The physical act of washing made people feel less guilty and reduced their willingness to engage in an altruistic act.
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