The Psychology of Guilt: How Guilt Changes The Way We Spend

The Psychology of Guilt

A little guilt can go a long way, especially in terms of how we treat money. Read on to know the consumer psychology of guilt.

“True! —nervous —very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses —not destroyed —not dulled them.”

So begins Edgar Allen Poe’s famous The Tell-Tale Heart. It’s the story of a murderer who becomes so overcome with their guilt that they hallucinate the sounds of their dead victim’s heart. Guilt becomes a powerful character in the story, ultimately leading the murderer to uncover the body and admit their wrongdoing.

It’s arguably the most famous story about the power of guilt. It alludes to its complexity and mercurial potency. When we feel we’ve done something wrong, our psyche acts in a strange, unpredictable way to resolve this feeling.

Guilt isn’t an emotion reserved just for grim crimes. It’s an emotion we’re all familiar with, especially as consumers. To better understand its impact on how we spend, we need to dive into the neuromarketing of guilt.

Also read 8 Psychology-Based Signs Someone Secretly Has A Crush On You

The Consumer Psychology of Guilt

Many advertising campaigns use guilt as their primary emotion. Think of the anti-smoking ads. They target parents of young children with messages like, “When you smoke, they smoke.” And for every anti-texting and driving ad, there’s a graphic portrayal of a tragic accident caused by your inability to put down the phone.

This persuasion tactic makes complete sense. After all, we have a strong negativity bias—we’re more sensitive to things with potential harm than things that provide pleasure. Losing $20 hurts more than gaining $20 feels good. We’re more motivated to keep the $20 bill in our wallets than we are to gain a crisp new one.

Guilt, however, runs deeper than simple negativity. It emphasizes something that it assumes the person has already done. And because of this, it threatens our positive sense of self.

We’re all motivated to see ourselves in a positive light. If we’re led to believe we’ve done something wrong, we compensate for this in other ways.

Imagine accidentally bumping into an older woman while you’re crossing the street. Even though you didn’t mean to, this may damage your positive sense of self. To prove to yourself that you’re a good person, you’d go out of your way to do something highly moral. You may be inclined to give to a charity, check up on a friend, or walk the next old lady across the street.

You might not realize why you’re doing it, but guilt motivates you to compensate for your misdeed. A little guilt can go a long way.

This plays out in a similar way with our spending habits. If we feel bad about a purchase, it forces us to wrestle with a feeling, and we’re driven to alleviate it. Just like The Tell-Tale Heart, guilt itself becomes a character in the story, and we can’t predict its effect on our consumer behavior.

Also read 5 Psychological Reasons Behind Nail Biting

Guilt, Consumer Behavior, and Compensation

Most people think the use of sweatshop labor is unethical, and want there to be some form of punishment for corporations who use it. But who wants to punish sweatshops using corporations more? The answer is surprising: People who recently purchased goods made from sweatshop labor wanted stronger punishments for corporations who do so. Surprisingly, these people are also much more vocal and angry about their anti-sweatshop stance.

Studies Have Shown That When We Feel Guilty About Receiving

This all comes down to guilt:

When people feel complicit in moral wrongdoing, they try to alleviate this guilt and protect their images of themselves as good people. Again, a little guilt can go a long way.

Guilt about past purchases has a strange effect on future behavior. But the effect of guilt isn’t limited to products, but with money itself. From a rational perspective, money is fundamentally fungible—a dollar is a dollar is a dollar. But in practice, certain dollars can be infused with meaning—what psychologists call an “affective tag,” which then influences what that money is spent on.

Studies have shown that when we feel guilty about receiving money, or feel we haven’t deserved it, we’re much more likely to give it away. For example, if we receive it from a source we don’t like—in one experiment, it was the tobacco company Philip Morris—the money feels bad. And in response, we’re driven to cleanse ourselves of these negative feelings by spending it in a positive way, such as donating to charity.

In contrast, if we receive money through a relative or from someone we like, we’re much more likely to spend it on hedonistic things like ice cream. Unencumbered by the conflict of tainted money, we feel free to spend this on ourselves.

Obtaining guilty money creates an internal conflict:

We want money, but we also want to feel as though we’re good people. Classic cognitive dissonance. If we accept money made from dirty, immoral ways, we naturally feel compelled to resolve this so we can tell ourselves we’re still good people, alleviating this dissonance and maintaining a positive self-image.

In this way, receiving guilty money leads us to act in a highly moral manner, to compensate. Depending on the source of the guilt, it leads us to act in specific, compensatory ways. Research has found that if the money comes from a moral violation, the person will spend it in prosocial ways, like giving to a charity.

On the other hand, if the money comes about from personal guilt (such as a failure of self-control), this increases spending on things self-improvement-related, such as exercise equipment or meditation apps. Whatever flaw the money highlights, we spend in a way that compensates for it. Money is the sin, consumerism is the confessional.

Guilt is a mercurial emotion and a potent force in our lives. And when we view it through the lens of neuromarketing, we can clearly see its impacts on our purchasing decisions. In short, guilt leads us down a similar path as our original protagonist:

“I admit the deed! —tear up the planks! here, here!”

Edgar Allen Poe may have just described The Tell-Tale Consumer

Also read The Psychology Of Toxic Leaders

Please share this article with anyone who you may think will find it valuable and helpful.

References

Allard, T., & White, K. (2015). Cross-Domain Effects of Guilt on Desire for Self-Improvement Products. Journal of Consumer Research, 42, 401-419.

Gino, F., & Mogilner, C. (2014). Time, money, and morality. Psychological science, 25 2, 414-21 .

Levav, J., & Mcgraw, A. P. (2009). Emotional Accounting: How Feelings about Money Influence Consumer 
Choice. Journal of Marketing Research, 46(1), 66–80. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.46.1.66

Park, H.Y., & Meyvis, T. (2019). Moral Accounting: How Consumers Spend Money Tainted by Guilt. Cognition & Culture: Culture.

Written by: Matt Johnson, Ph.D
Originally appeared on: Psychlogy Today
Republished with permission
The Psychology of Guilt pin

— About the Author —

Leave a Reply



Up Next

14 Benefits Of Visualization And How To Harness It’s Power

Benefits Of Visualization And How To Harness It's Power

The power of visualization is not something that a lot of people might know about. However, once you know how to harness it’s power, you will see that the benefits of visualization can be endless. Explore the power of creative visualization and it’s benefits.

“The man who has no imagination has no wings.” —Mohammad Ali

You’re probably familiar with the old saying, “Seeing is believing.” Well, it’s this adage’s simple concept that’s at the core of a powerful form of mental exercise called visualization. This practice isn’t just for casual daydreamers, though.



Up Next

4 Zodiac Signs With Tunnel Vision: Are You Narrowing Your Focus?

Zodiac Signs With Tunnel Vision (Narrow Focus)

Feeling stuck and can’t seem to change? Here are 4 zodiac signs with tunnel vision. They get so focused on one idea or task that they forget about everything else.

Focusing is like looking through a tube, everything else around us gets blurry. It happens to our eyes and cameras too, this phenomenon is known as “tunnel vision“. Some people do this more than others when it comes to thoughts.

These four signs are like that. They’re so set in their ways that they can’t see other possibilities. So, without ado let’s take a look at the zodiac signs that suffer from tunnel vision and how they can overcome it.



Up Next

11 Habits Of Miserable People And How To Move On

Habits Of Miserable People And How To Move On

Have you ever had to deal with a miserable person? If your answer is no, then you are one of the lucky ones, but if your answer is yes, then you know how exhausting it can be. This article is going to talk about the habits of miserable people and the habits of unhappy people so that you can stay away from them when needed.

To awareness and education for those who have experienced or are experiencing the cycle of narcissistic abuse from a partner, a family member, partner or a worksite, and even a government by providing the education, empowerment, and energetic skills to come out of the cognitive fog and into the light a survivor needs so they can create new habits and experience optimum health in every area of life.

I’m not happy to say this, but I’ve known a lot of miserable and evil people throughout my life. I have stumbled upon so



Up Next

What Are DISC Personality Types? Know Yours To Fine-Tune Interpersonal Connections With 6 Beneficial Tips.

How DISC Personality Types Shape Behavior in Work and Life

Have you ever wondered why some people are naturally outgoing and assertive, while others prefer a more analytical and reserved approach? The answer lies in understanding DISC personality types.

Let us delve into the fascinating world of DISC personalities, exploring what they are, how they can be identified, and most importantly, how to effectively interact and communicate with each type. 

Whether you’re a team leader, an employee, or simply someone interested in enhancing your interpersonal relationships, understanding DISC personality types can be a game-changer. So, let’s embark on this enlightening journey together.

What is DISC Personality?



Up Next

The Cognitive Triangle: Hidden Link Between Your Thoughts, Emotions And Behaviors

How to Transform Your Life with the Cognitive Triangle

Have you ever wondered why certain thoughts make you feel a particular way, which in turn influences your actions and behaviors? It’s fascinating how our minds work and how interconnected our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors truly are. Let’s explore the concept of the cognitive triangle.

The cognitive triangle is a powerful framework that sheds light on the intricate relationship between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. So let’s dive in.

What is the Cognitive Triangle?



Up Next

8 Signs You Are On The Wrong Path In Life

Signs You Are On The Wrong Path In Life

Life is a very unpredictable thing, with its many twists and turns and unexpected changes, and sometimes we find ourselves walking on the wrong path. It’s like you took a small detour, and suddenly you find yourself on the opposite side of where you were meant to be! In this article, we are going to talk about the signs you are on the wrong path in life.

In our busy and rapidly changing world, it’s important to stay focused, and live a life that aligns with your dreams, aspirations, and goals.

So, if you relate to these eight signs you are on the wrong path in life, then don’t worry, because once you understa



Up Next

Say No To Being Drama Queen: 7 Ways How To Stop Being Dramatic And Embrace Inner Peace

How To Stop Being Dramatic: Tips For A Peaceful Life

Are you addicted to drama in relationships and life? Do you find yourself creating drama unintentionally? Do people say you are overly dramatic? Then it might be time that you learn how to stop being dramatic.

Many people struggle with dramatic tendencies, but the good news is that you have the power to break free from this cycle. Today, we will explore the signs of a dramatic person, the potential reasons behind this behavior, and most importantly, practical steps on how to stop being dramatic and cultivate a more peaceful and fulfilling life.

Are You Addicted to Drama?