Psychology
Moral Licensing and Its Impact on Prosocial Behavior
Quick fact
Volunteering can actually lead people to be less helpful later: one study found that shoppers who bought a product that donated to charity were less likely to donate directly afterward (Strahilevitz, 1999).
Why this is interesting
You just recycled that plastic bottle. Does that make it easier to toss the next one? It might—and that’s the sneaky logic of moral licensing.