Been for a run? Have a Mars bar. Donated to charity? Splurge on a dress. A growing body of research has highlighted an interesting quirk of human behaviour – moral licensing. Dr. Paul Conway, who studies the psychology of morality, explains to Canvas8 how good actions license bad behaviour.

Doing the supermarket shop with a reusable bag might be good for the planet, but it might not be that great for your waistline. Studies now show that using an eco-friendly tote bag actually makes people more likely to reach for the sweet treats and sugary snacks they'd otherwise avoid.

Burger fads and 1,000-calorie ready meals hardly fit in with a society that’s increasingly obsessed with healthy eating. But while these polarising trends paint a schizophrenic food landscape, they show how indulgent foods express our freedoms. After all, no one likes to be told what to eat.

People who do a good deed in the morning are more likely to engage in unethical behaviour later that day. According to a study in Science magazine, this 'moral licensing' is easy to set into motion and can be triggered by the mere thought of doing something good.