In Shakespeare's renowned play Macbeth, / Lady Macbeth encourages / her husband to kill the king, / but begins to feel overwhelming guilt / after he actually does.

She envisions blood on her hands / and attempts to wash it off.

Although this is a purely fictional depiction, / some psychologists propose / it is possible to alleviate feelings of guilt / physically.

This phenomenon is called / the "Lady Macbeth Effect," / and, unfortunately, / it's not always beneficial.

In one study, / the psychologists prompted select participants / to recall instances / when they had behaved / unethically / in the past, / then thanked everyone for participating / and allowed each person to choose a reward.

The rewards they offered / were small, everyday items, / including pens, kitchen tools, and cleaning products.

After thinking about their bad behavior, / people were significantly more inclined to choose / a cleaning product, / such as soap or hand wipes, / than any of the other products.

Researchers in a related study / also asked people to think / about bad things / they had done.

But this time, / half of them were allowed / to wash their hands / afterward, / while the others were not.

The researchers found / that those who washed their hands / reported feeling less guilty / and were less likely to engage in volunteer work later.

These findings suggest / that washing one's hands / can minimize negative emotions, / but it can also diminish / emotions related to morality.