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Out, Damned Spot: Can the “Macbeth Effect” Be Replicated?


Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Earp, Brian D 
Everett, Jim AC 
Madva, Elizabeth N 
Hamlin, J Kiley 

Abstract

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 Z&L's seminal report. We used Z&L'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.

Description

This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology Volume 36, Issue 1, 2014, 91-98, © 2014 Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01973533.2013.856792.

Keywords

5205 Social and Personality Psychology, 52 Psychology

Journal Title

Basic and Applied Social Psychology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0197-3533
1532-4834

Volume Title

36

Publisher

Informa UK Limited