Do Not Wash Your Hands When You Eat Junk Food: the Possibility of a Reverse Macbeth Effect in Consumer Behavior

This study explores whether and how the experience of physical cleansing can affect health guilt over consuming junk food. We demonstrate that physical cleansing does not mitigate but aggravates perceived health guilt. Our research also shows that the effect of physical cleansing is moderated by consumers’ autotelic need for touch.

Citation:

Jaewoo Park and Hiroaki Ishii (2013) ,"Do Not Wash Your Hands When You Eat Junk Food: the Possibility of a Reverse Macbeth Effect in Consumer Behavior", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 41, eds. Simona Botti and Aparna Labroo, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research.