In this study, people who were asked to privately think about their own personal past transgressions (e.g., cheating on their partners, stealing money, mistreating their parents) tended to choose personal hygiene gifts for their participation in the study. That is to say, unlike those in the control group who thought about more innocent things, those who had just reflected on their moral shortcomings were significantly more likely to choose antiseptic wipes as a going-away prize versus an object of equal value, as though they were literally motivated to wipe away their sins.