Out, damned spot: can the "Macbeth Effect" be replicated?

Journal article

Zhong and Liljenquist (2006) reported evidence of a "Macbeth Effect" in social psychology: a threat to people's moral purity leads them to seek, literally, to cleanse themselves. In an attempt to build upon these findings, we conducted a series of direct replications of Study 2 from ZandL's seminal report. We used ZandL's original materials and methods, investigated samples that were more representative of the general population, investigated samples from different countries and cultures, and substantially increased the power of our statistical tests. Despite multiple good-faith efforts, however, we were unable to detect a "Macbeth Effect" in any of our experiments. We discuss these findings in the context of recent concerns about replicability in the field of experimental social psychology. © 2014 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Authors: Earp, B; Everett, J; Madva, E; Hamlin, J

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Routledge
• Journal: BASIC AND APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 91-98
• Publication date: 2014-01-01
• DOI: 10.1080/01973533.2013.856792
• EISSN: 1532-4834
• ISSN: 0197-3533
• Language: English
• Keywords: Macbeth Effect; Purity (Ethics); Replication (Experimental design); Experimental psychology; Social psychology; Hygiene
• Subjects: Social psychology; Experimental psychology