Study says saints can easily be sinners

EVANSTON, Ill., June 26 (UPI) -- People who are very moral in one aspect of their lives can slip into immorality in other areas, say three researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois.

Their study, entitled "Sinning Saints and Saintly Sinners: The Paradox of Moral Self-Regulation", demonstrates for the first time that people who are extremely moral are more likely to act in an opposite direction.

As an example, the authors point to former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, once known as the sheriff of Wall Street, who fell from grace for employing the services of a prostitute.

"If people feel too moral, they might not have sufficient incentive to engage in moral action because of the costliness of being good," says co-author Sonya Sachdeva.

Conversely, people who engage in immoral behavior cleanse themselves with good works, the study shows.

Co-authors of the study along with Sachdeva are Douglas Medin and Rumen Iliev.

It is published in the journal Psychological Science.