Abstract
Doing something moral gives one a license to do something immoral. This form of moral compen-sation is called “moral self-licensing”. Interestingly, the moral behavior can take place in another domain than the subsequent immoral behavior. For example, buying eco-friendly products gives one a license to steal. This article is based on the idea that a healthy diet has a moral dimension. As a consequence, consuming a healthy product should give one a license for immoral behavior. This research supports this hypothesis on a playful study. This study shows that drinking sauerkraut juice contributes to a stronger support of Nazi-esque right wing ideology than drinking either nothing or a less-healthy beverage (Nestea).
Highlights
Sauerkraut juice contains three times as much vitamin C as orange juice
The evaluation of sauerkraut juice was more positive than the midpoint of the scale (5.5), t(38) = 6.88, p < 0.0001, d = 2.23, which suggests that sauerkraut juice was perceived as healthy
This research shows that, ironically, drinking sauerkraut juice is associated with stronger endorsement of right-wing ideology than consumption of a comparison beverage
Summary
Sauerkraut juice contains three times as much vitamin C as orange juice. It is rich in fiber, and it is digestible. Sauerkraut juice is, in other words, very healthy Consuming such a healthy product can have an effect on further consumption (Finkelstein & Fishbach, 2010). On the other hand, it could be interpreted to mean that one has already put sufficient effort toward one’s health. In this case, consuming a healthy product gives one a license to compensate, such as by eating something less healthy. Consuming healthy products gives one a license for other compensatory behaviors as well
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