Self-licensing, also called moral self-licensing or moral licensing, is a phenomenon in social psychology and marketing in which increased confidence in one's own moral self-image makes a person worry less about the consequences of behaving badly afterward, making an immoral or unhealthy choice more likely. In one illustrative example, a person who orders a diet soda alongside a high-calorie meal subconsciously discounts the meal's negative qualities because of the virtuous choice made alongside it.
Facts
Core ClaimSelf-licensing (also moral self-licensing, moral licensing, or licensing effect) is a term used in social psychology and marketing to describe the subconscious phenomenon whereby increased confidence and security in one's self-image or self-concept tends to make that individual worry less about the consequences of subsequent immoral behavior and, therefore, more likely to make immoral choices and act immorally. 1 Classification
Type of Phenomenon Connections
In Branch
Source Wikipedia: Self-licensing
Source Wikipedia: Self-licensing
Sources
1. Self-licensing (Wikipedia)
Lead paragraph
Self-licensing (also moral self-licensing, moral licensing, or licensing effect) is a term used in social psychology and marketing to describe the subconscious phenomenon whereby increased confidence and security in one's self-image or self-concept tends to make that individual worry less about the consequences of subsequent immoral behavior and, therefore, more likely to make immoral choices and act immorally.
lead section, phenomenon-kind classification (self-licensing)
Self-licensing (also moral self-licensing, moral licensing, or licensing effect) is a term used in social psychology and marketing to describe the subconscious phenomenon whereby increased confidence and security in one's self-image or self-concept tends to make that individual worry less about the consequences of subsequent immoral behavior and, therefore, more likely to make immoral choices and act immorally.
View the SourceWikipedia: Self-licensing
Wikimedia FoundationIn Branch: Cognitive Psychology, Categories
Wikipedia article 'Self-licensing' is filed under Category:Cognitive biases.
In Branch: Moral Psychology, Categories
Wikipedia article 'Self-licensing' is filed under Category:Moral psychology.
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