People are more likely to do good for others when they have watched others do good deeds or had their sense of smell aroused by “clean” scents. That’s the verdict from two studies published recently.

In one study, young women watched either an uplifting episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” a neutral nature documentary or a British comedy special. They were then asked to either volunteer for another study or to complete a long and boring questionnaire. Guess who signed up? You guessed it. The Oprah fans.

In another study, researchers tested how altruistic people would be when exposed to either a neutral scented room or a room that smelled freshly cleaned. In this case, cleanliness was next to Godliness, and the people who sat in a minty fresh room were also the most likely to offer help to others.

Now imagine what a good person you’d be if you watched Oprah while sitting in a newly scrubbed living room. Hint, hint!?