The Macbeth effect is a proposed phenomenon, whereby feelings of immorality activate a desire to cleanse. Extensions of this theory suggest that cleansing alleviates immoral feelings, thus reducing the urge to engage in compensatory behaviors, such as volunteering. We examined the Macbeth effect and volunteerism in undergraduate students with high levels of obsessive-compulsive disorder contamination concerns (n = 164). Participants underwent an immorality, anxiety, or neutral emotion-induction condition and subsequently cleansed their hands or performed a control task. For participants in the immorality condition, increased ratings of distress were associated with increased accessibility of cleansing words. Furthermore, individuals in the immorality condition who cleansed volunteered for significantly less time than those who did not cleanse. We discuss findings in relation to the literature on the Macbeth effect and mental contamination.

中文翻译：

---

擦净你的良心

麦克白效应是一种提出的现象，通过这种现象，不道德的情绪激发了人们对清洁的渴望。该理论的扩展表明，清洁可以减轻不道德的感觉，从而减少进行补偿性行为（如志愿服务）的冲动。我们研究了强迫症污染程度高（n = 164）的大学生的麦克白效应和志愿服务。参与者经历了不道德，焦虑或中性的诱发情绪的状况，随后清洗了他们的手或执行了控制任务。对于不道德状态的参与者，遇险等级的提高与清洁词的可及性相关。此外，处于不道德状态的个人进行清洁的志愿时间要比不进行清洁的人少得多。