Children’s altruism after recalling recent and distant morally-valenced behavior and the mediating role of guilt

Previous research on adults’ moral licensing and cleansing suggested the moderating role of psychological distance: psychologically close actions generate behavior opposite in valence that would restore moral balance, while distant actions motivate similar behaviors, as they are abstractly conceptualized as identity features. We adapted an experimental paradigm previously used in this area, that of recalling past moral and immoral behaviors, and...