#6: License to Err

Adding an extra dose of behavioral science to your week with our series In a Nutshell— a collection of behavioral science principles, explained in 150 words or less, written weekly by CUBIC director Allison Zelkowitz.

Have you ever finished some intense exercise, and then later rewarded yourself with an indulgent dinner or dessert?

Moral licensing is a phenomenon via which human beings give ourselves permission to do something “bad,” because we’ve already done something “good.” We conduct psychological bargaining, and let ourselves off the hook because “we’ve earned it.”

For example, some people who recycle regularly may feel more justified in driving gas-guzzling cars.  Similarly, as described by Malcolm Gladwell, people may make racist remarks – but feel they’re not prejudiced – “because they have a black friend.”

So, what can we do?  As explained in this well-researched Ted Talk by a Shanghai teenager, we can stop labeling our actions as “good” or “bad” and evaluate each decision without considering our past actions. In addition, we can make our goals part of our identity, and think “Is this what a healthy, green, or racially-conscious person would do?”