Nazis by Kraut: A Playful Application of Moral Self-Licensing

Claude Messner^*, Adrian Brügger

Institute of Consumer Behavior, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

DOI: 10.4236/psych.2015.69112                

Abstract

Doing something moral gives one a license to do something immoral. This form of moral compen-sation is called “moral self-licensing”. Interestingly, the moral behavior can take place in another domain than the subsequent immoral behavior. For example, buying eco-friendly products gives one a license to steal. This article is based on the idea that a healthy diet has a moral dimension. As a consequence, consuming a healthy product should give one a license for immoral behavior. This research supports this hypothesis on a playful study. This study shows that drinking sauerkraut juice contributes to a stronger support of Nazi-esque right wing ideology than drinking either nothing or a less-healthy beverage (Nestea).

Keywords

Moral Self-Licensing, Prejudice, Stereotypes, Nutrition, Health

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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