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From washing hands to washing consciences and polishing reputations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2021

Matthieu Légeret
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC), University of Lausanne, CH-1015Lausanne, Switzerland. matthieu.legeret@unil.ch; ulrich.hoffrage@unil.ch https://hecnet.unil.ch/hec/recherche/fiche?pnom=mlegeret&dyn_lang=enhttps://hecnet.unil.ch/hec/recherche/fiche?pnom=uhoffrage&dyn_lang=en
Ulrich Hoffrage
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC), University of Lausanne, CH-1015Lausanne, Switzerland. matthieu.legeret@unil.ch; ulrich.hoffrage@unil.ch https://hecnet.unil.ch/hec/recherche/fiche?pnom=mlegeret&dyn_lang=enhttps://hecnet.unil.ch/hec/recherche/fiche?pnom=uhoffrage&dyn_lang=en

Abstract

While Lee and Schwarz propose grounded procedures of separation as an explanation for physical cleansing in various domains (e.g., washing one's hands), we suggest that separation can also account for behavioral cleansing aimed at washing consciences and polishing reputations. We discuss this extension in terms of degrees of behavioral cleansing, motivations, and intentions behind cleansing, and social settings.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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