Lemondrop

Thinking about making "judge people less" or "be more open and accepting" a resolution for 2009? Turns out, it may just be a matter of washing your hands or taking a shower.

A new study in the December issue of Psychological Science reveals that when people feel physically clean, they cut others more moral slack. "When we exercise moral judgment, we believe we are making a conscious, rational decision, but this research shows that we are subconsciously influenced by how clean or 'pure' we feel," said lead researcher Simone Schnall, a psychologist at the University of Plymouth in England. And how does this apply in real life? "Take for example the situation of a jury member, or voting in an election -- if the jury member had washed their hands prior to delivering their verdict, they may judge the crime less harshly."

The study's assertions come from two experiments with university students. In each, participants were asked to perform tasks that either did or didn't evoke feelings of cleanliness, then rate a series of moral dilemmas. In both experiments, students who felt more clean judged transgressions, like using a kitten for sexual arousal or putting false information on a resume, less harshly. Schnall's analysis of both experiments: Those who washed their hands or read about cleanliness likely misinterpreted their physical or mental feelings of purity as being more about the moral vignettes.

Tell us: Does the study and Schnall's interpretation make sense to you? Have you ever seen her theory at work in your own life?