From washing hands to washing consciences and polishing reputations

While Lee and Schwartz (in press) propose grounded procedures of separation as an explanation for physical cleansing in various domains (e.g., washing one’s hands), we suggest that separation can also account for behavioral cleansing aimed at washing consciences and polishing reputations. We discuss this extension in terms of degrees of behavioral cleansing, motivations and intentions behind cleansing, and social settings