ABSTRACT
People do not like to be faced with unwelcome moral tests: Situations where their identity of themselves as moral either prevents them from doing something in furtherance of another goal or leaves them guilt-ridden if they pursue the identity-inconsistent goal. The psychological conflict and conscience grappling that unwelcome tests confront people with is so averse that they often will seek to avoid these situations, even if doing so is materially costly. Moreover, the people who are most likely to do the responsible thing are the most eager to avoid the situation. Interestingly, when people take steps to evade moral tests altogether, or even to elude conditions that merely increase the magnitude of a moral test, they often know what they are doing. They do not feel good about it, but nevertheless, judge it preferable to putting themselves at risk of facing an even more challenging moral test. People do not want to find themselves in situations where their better angels and their self-interest will be in conflict.
