Self-Haters Donate More
Psychological Science told us "Haters Cheat Less"; now it tells us "Self-Haters Donate More":
We propose a framework suggesting that moral (or immoral) behavior can result from an internal balancing of moral self-worth and the cost inherent in altruistic behavior. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to write a self-relevant story containing words referring to either positive or negative traits. Participants who wrote a story referring to the positive traits donated one fifth as much as those who wrote a story referring to the negative traits. In Experiment 2, we showed that this effect was due specifically to a change in the self-concept. In Experiment 3, we replicated these findings and extended them to cooperative behavior in environmental decision making. We suggest that affirming a moral identity leads people to feel licensed to act immorally. However, when moral identity is threatened, moral behavior is a means to regain some lost self-worth.
So when can it be good to make people feel bad about themselves, so that they will be good to others?
"So when can it be good to make people feel bad about themselves, so that they will be good to others?"
Every Sunday morning, right?
On the topic of Genovese, I recommend this Mind Hacks post.
I second Upandaway on the utility of shame. I think much of the modern denigration of shame comes from people signalling that their high-status exempts them from shame.