Abstract
Objectives: Mental contamination is the psychological sense of dirtiness that arises in the absence of physical contact with a perceived contaminant. Research suggests mental contamination can be evoked through recalling or imagining perpetrating a moral transgression. This study experimentally evoked mental contamination by asking men to imagine perpetrating a moral transgression. It explored whether reducing one's sense of personal responsibility for the transgression moderated the mental contamination effect. Method: Male students (N=60) imagined perpetrating either a consensual or non-consensual kiss. Personal responsibility for the act was manipulated in one of two non-consensual kiss conditions through the provision of social influence information. Feelings of mental contamination were assessed by self-report and through a behavioural index (choice of a free gift) of mental contamination. Results: Mental contamination was successfully induced in the two non-consensual kiss conditions. Results provide some evidence to support the hypothesis that reducing personal responsibility would moderate the mental contamination effect in imagined perpetrators of a forced non-consensual kiss. However, findings suggest that there was no significant difference between non-consensual conditions when mental contamination was assessed behaviourally through choice of free gift. Overall, more men who imagined perpetrating a moral transgression (irrespective of personal responsibility), chose a cleanse based free gift compared to men who imagined having a consensual kiss. Conclusion: It is possible to experimentally induce mental contamination in a non-clinical sample. The study shows some evidence that personal responsibility may moderate the mental contamination effect. Implications for research, theory and practice are discussed.