Sunday, November 07, 2010

A Biter's Market


This is a nice little article about kids and incentives. Government policy makers are always looking for incentives to motivate us to act in a certain way. Read the article and respond to at least two of the five questions listed at the bottom of the article.

38 comments:

Kelvin Foung (2nd period) said...

The idea of giving children incentives to reduce their candy intake is an interesting idea, but there are factors that can inhibit this from working. This may stop children from consuming candy momentarily, but if they receive a strong enough desire for sweets they may turn back to candy. Humans seem to have a natural desire for sweets so it's not really easy to resist the temptations of candy. The pleasure derived from eating candy often outweighs the incentive, unless the incentive is significantly larger, but that would be more costly on the incentive giver. Also if the incentive is money and if the child were to already have a significantly large amount already, the child might not really desire to exchange his/her candy for money, unless it would increase their wealth by a significant amount. If it was only small change compared to the money they already have, it wouldn't really feel like they gained anything, so the incentive of eating the candy would be larger to the child.

Connie Wang (7th period) said...

Dentists might try to promote flossing, brushing teeth and other good oral hygiene habits. Some healthcare providers give out bonuses for not getting sick or injured. Certain insurance companies dole out checks for “good” costumers. Some children might think candy is more valuable than money. If the candy can only be sold at low prices, kids might not consider selling to their dentists. If they already have money or don’t need any, they won’t sell. And if they have a lot of candy, they might only sell a small percentage to their dentist, consume the rest, and still have cavities.

Adeet Amin (2nd Period) said...

2. The program like the one above will be unsuccessful because people can use the monetary rewards from selling their candy to buy more candy. This will result in more candy being bought and more candy being consumed then it would have been without the money.
4. If a child already has a substantially large amount of money then the reward of selling candy for money would be worthless to that child. The reason is that the child will want something else besides money because they already have so much of it. So they will want a different type of reward.

Donald Hubbard (7th period) said...

Children often look at the short-term benefits, not the long-term gains. The child could possibly weigh money and candy differently, and quite possibly the child would refuse to accept money to reduce candy intake. The child also could easily use the money to buy new candy and simply repeat the process. Overall, I think offering money as an incentive to reduce children's intake of candy would not be very effective.

Ben Maxfield 7th period said...

I think that one dollar per pound of candy is a fair price because it provides encouragement to kids to not eat to much candy but dies not give them so much money that they are tempted to cheat the system. If I went trick or treating I would probably sell all my candy I didn't eat Halloween night because have excess candy laying around leads to unhealthy habits and the extra money is nice. I believe that the amount of money a kid already has will affect how much candy they are willing to sell. If you already have all the money you need then your far less likely to sell your candy.

Juanesha Eaden 2nd said...

My answer to number 2 is kids at that age definitly do not value money as much as they do candy. Also kids love candy! Plus if you're giving kids money that could encourage them to buy more candy and it would just be a continuing system. My answer to question number 3 is it would all depend what kind of candy it is. If its many snickers and m&m's with the peanuts, then not too many of those would get sold, just the candy i really don't like. Depending on what it is, I'll probably sell for .50 cents. Again to answer the following questions within question 3 it all would depend what candy I have. But 5 lbs is alot and 50 ls is way too much. So majority of it would get sold all at a rate with a few deals.

Ashley Day Period 7 said...

I remember as a kid loving the dentist just because if I went 6 months without a cavity or any major problem I got my picture put up on a bulletin board in the lobby. In addition to this, after a good check-up I would receive a prize from the treasure chest, which normally contained Chinese yo-yo and things of that nature. Although it is a good idea to buy the candy back, I don't really think it will work, because there will be nothing that would stop kids from going out to walmart, buying candy, and then keeping what the collect from trick-or-treating.

Eileen Gong (7) said...

2. A program like attempting to buy back candy from children would most likely have no effect on candy consumption. A child's first instinct when he or she has money is to use it to buy more candy, which would cancel out any good that was done by taking the candy away. Also, most children would not be willing to give up very much candy, even in exchange for money.

4. If a child is given regular allowance by his or her parents, it could go two ways. On one hand, the child could have a pre-existing inclination towards money, so he or she will desire even more and will be willing to give up more candy to get it. However, it could go the opposite direction as well; the child could think that he or she already has enough money and therefore does not need any more. This likely depends on how high the child's allowance is. If the child does not have any money, then he or she could either not understand the value of money versus candy and will be completely unwilling to give up candy or could be much more willing to give up candy. Much depends on the children themselves.

Marian Flores (2nd Period) said...

If a child already has, or receives money from their parents, they are most likely to not sell their candy, even if it is extra money. If a kid doesn't get an allowance, they will probably sell all, or most of their candy so that they can buy other stuff.

If the candy being sold is randomly selected, some kids will be reluctant to sell their candy because their favorite candy might be sold as opposed to picking the candy you sell. If the most damaging candy was priced higher, then I think some kids would sell them because they could make more money and they could buy more candy with the extra money.

Tyler Roberts Period 2 said...

Its kinda crazy that parents are giving children incentives to stop eating so much candy. All I know is if they offered me money, i wouldnt take it cause candy is amazing and i could never give it up. Haha maybe thats why im so hyper all the time. Oh well.....

Anonymous said...

Samir Williams 7th period
3.If i was to be paid by a dentist for selling candy by the pound i would charge 2.50 a pound and 125 per 50 pounds
4. I do belive that if a child has less money they will be tempted to sell more of it than eat it.

Evan Wright (7th) said...

2. This program, though noble in its intentions, will likely fail due to the use of money. Most kids don't have a lot of things to use money on. Children don't often weigh in the options of saving money for something great, but instead spend every penny on sweets or entertainment goods. Due to rising prices in video games and the like, children will likely sell candy at their parents' advisory, but then use that money to buy more candy. The only way to break the cycle would be to find something better to offer them than money.

5. If the candy to be collected was selected randomly, the impact of the program would almost be abysmal. Children would love to give up some specific candy like dots or the like, but what about the other 5 score brands that they have? Pricing each one at different levels depending on impact would work much better as healthier candies could be separated from those that are just pure cavity creators.

Rey Blanco 7th Period said...

2. The kids could cheat the system. They could just buy candy in bulk and sell it back for a profit. Also they may just value their candy more than the money.

4. If the child doesn't have a whole lot of candy, it may not be worth it to them to sell the candy. Whereas a kid with a substantial amount of candy would be more inclined to sell some of their candy.

Grant Yuan (2nd period) said...

2. Most children would value candy more than cash, so attempts to give them cash in exchange for candy probably will be unsuccessful. Also, any of the the children who receive the money will be so young that their parents have to accept how they spend the money. If parents prevent children from buying candy with the money, children would feel that they are being robbed of their candy and thus refuse to give up any of their candy the next time. If the money is used to buy more candy, kids would continue to consume candy.

4. I believe the amount of money a child already has will be inversely related to his or her desire to sell some candy. Children with plenty of money would view more candy as more important than yet a few more dollars in their possession. If a child doesn't have money, he or she would probably wish to have some, increasing the chance of him or her being willing to trade candy for cash.

Rudy Madabhushi (Period 2) said...

2) The program might not work because the child would gather as much as candy as possible. Then, the child would sell some of the candy and eat the rest. This would actually increase the consumption of candy.

3) I would want $20 for each pound of candy, $100 for 5 pounds, and $2000 for 50 pounds.

Kyle Newton (Period 2) said...

2. The main reason would be because to many children money holds little value, while candy is something value greatly. Also the money could be used to buy more candy.

4. Yes because if a kid has a small amount of candy they will not want to sell it because they want to eat it. However, if they have a large amount of candy each individual piece holds less value and they would be willing to sell a larger amount.

Solomon Wong 7th said...

There are many flaws with this incentive. Firstly, kids have little to no concept of money because their parents always handled the money; however, they do have an idea of what do they want the most. Kids will value candy more than money because the marginal benefits of consuming the candies are much greater than the marginal costs of selling them to dentists. Secondly, kids do not have as much inner strength, for they will fall into their desires of wanting candy. This problem is only natural in human beings, especially during an early age, so using such a program will be problematic. Maybe setting the more damaging candies at a higher price might work, but do note that the worst candies taste the best to most kids. Even if kids are selling their candies, they are selling the candies they dislike or have little or no opinion of. Parents might push kids into this program, but it is most likely that participation will decrease should selling candy by the pound prove to be a simple random selection.

Sarah Lastovica 7th said...

2. This program wold not be effective because the kids could trade in the candy they don't like to get money back and then spend it on the candy they do like, making the whole process inrelevant.
5. Picking out the least healthy candy would not work because, if it is a favorite of the child, they will take it out of the mix. If dentist only offer this program Halloween night, children will just leave the good candy in the car.

Katie Graviss (2nd period) said...

I personally "hunt" for candy so the idea of not eating the candy is too much for me. On the other hand i do not think that offering a kid money for their candy is in anyway helping them make "healthier decisions". Yes, children can have fun collecting without consequences from eating it all but buying their candy, with money, tells them instead of striving to be out there having fun and enjoying the holiday yet another thing in america becomes about getting richer and who has the most money!! America, leave the children alone while they're still not corrupted!

Frank Chu (Period 2) said...

2. I don't know much about most children, but I for one am a picky candy eater. I eat only the sweets that I like and chocolate would be on the top of that list. Because of this, I would simply sell all the candy that I didn't plan on eating anyways for a nice amount of cash, which I could then use to buy more of the candy that I like. Looking at it this way, giving cash out to children in payment for candy can possibly increase candy intake. In fact, more people would be willing to head out to trick or treat more often. Nowadays, I refrain from such activities but if they were to offer me money, I would head out there almost immediately. By offering monetary value would not only fail in lowering candy intake, but increase it greatly instead.

5. Firstly, such a program of random selection is almost impossible to be carried out. How is anyone supposed to know exactly what types of candy each child obtained and how much of each he had and make sure that he doesn't eat any of them before they make a random selection? Unless someone is some crazy child stalker or overstrict parent, he or she wouldn't be able to regulate it. Thus, it is a completely absurd idea.
However, even if somehow this plan was carried out, there would be little effect on the result as a whole. The children would simply seek out more candy, raising the chances of keeping something that they would enjoy and the chances of keeping something unhealthy.
Yet, there is small hope in selling the most unhealthy snacks. It is true that it would lower the amount of unhealthy candy in their diet; but if the children choose not to sell those, it may have no effect at all.

Anonymous said...

D.J. Hicks
7th period
It would never work. Children at a younger age don’t understand the value of a dollar and therefore it means nothing to them. An incentive such as money would do no good because all children ever use it for is candy and this would possibly raise their consumption. The only thing that can be done to fix anything is just to regulate the amount they consume and to put limits on it.

James Hordern (7th) said...

The incentive program might fail if not enough money is offered for the candy. If a kid is offered a penny for every piece of candy they get, then one can be sure that they will keep the sugar. Kids are not dumb, and it will be difficult to separate them from their candy. Even with a high return rate for the candy some kids will probably still hold on to theirs. Candy is great, but HALLOWEEN candy is another thing entirely. To ask a kid to give up on a tradition might not work out too well. Also, younger kids have little use for money. In this case,there is no way they are going to part with their delicious piece of sugar.

Christopher Jordan (2nd period) said...

The primary concern for dentists should not be to reduce childish characteristics through increased incentives. A program like this would not work because soon enough, a child will realize the connection between money and candy, and, like many corporations, exploit the source of the money for personal gain. For instance, if a child sells a fraction of their candy for a base price, they can thus, theoretically, use a fraction of their received funds to buy back an amount of candy that they will be more likely to consume. This ties into the fact that the child's supply of money and the child's demand for sweets is inversely proportional, assuming that the only flow of income for the child is selling candy to dentists. Thus, when a child has a surplus of money, no candy will be sold, rendering the dentist's goals unfulfilled.

Tessy Lal 2nd period said...

The program would be unsuccessful because little kids do not understand the full benefit of money when compared to something they really like, like candy. Many children will still opt for keeping all of their candy, because they would not know what exactly to do with the money.

If the pound of candy was chosen randomly, participation in the program would decrease because there is a chance that the child's favorite candy is chosen to sell. If the most dentally damaging candy were priced higher, than the children would be stuck with making a big decision. The most dentally damaging candy are probably the best candy, so the children would hesitate before giving those up for more money. But candy still beats money in terms of pleasure derived for children.

Anitta Thomas (2nd) said...

2. Why might a program, like the one above, be unsuccessful at reducing candy consumption?
Kids at this point in age do not truly understand the value of money. A program like this would be unsuccessful because even if they did receive money to reduce their candy consumption, they would probably ignore the reason why they're getting money and go and spend it on more candy or even other things.

1. What other sorts of behaviors might dentists want to subsidize? What are some other examples of when a health care provider tries to encourage a healthy behavior?
Health care providers can definitely encourage oral hygiene as well as providing alternatives to candy that harms your teeth.

basil raju pd 7 said...

Dentists are supposed to promote activities that will keep ones teeth strong and healthy. Some healthcare providers pay rewards for not getting ill or injured. This means that insurance companies really appreciate people who do not get sick a lot. If kids had enough money they would probably sell a part of it, and eat the rest of it still ending up having cavities.

Alma Varghese 2nd Period said...

this idea may work for a while but after that kids will start storing candy and using it later when money is needed. kids only care about the consequnces right now.if there is a chance for the kids to gain more money, they will go to that idea.

stan tomy (2nd period) said...

children always look for stuff that satisfy their short term need. like candy. parenst giving kids incentives like money to make kids stop eating candy is stupid. they are just going to buy more candy. i would prefer eating candy ina controlled manner and not going overboard and getting diabetes. i dont get the fact that why parents have to do a lot of stuff to make their kids do something. if my parents say something to stop doing something. thats the end of discussion. and if parents do not want their kids eating candy , do not buy them at home. simple and problem solved.

Delores Wei (7th period) said...

2. Most children are naive, so they will view candy as more valuable than money. At such a young age, kids also do not have many needs and responsibilities, and they may end up spending their money on more candy to compensate for their losses. Also, candy can be attained in such a wide variety of ways that most children will end up eating candy anyway.

4. If a child already has a lot of money, then he/she will not feel compelled to sell the candy. However, if the child does not have a lot of money, then they might want to give up the benefits of eating candy to get more money.

Alex Cyriac Period 7 said...

2. The program like the one above will be unsuccessful because people can use the monetary rewards from selling their candy to buy more candy. This will result in more candy being bought and more candy being consumed then it would have been without the money.
4. If a child already has a substantially large amount of money then the reward of selling candy for money would be worthless to that child. The reason is that the child will want something else besides money because they already have so much of it. So they will want a different type of reward.

Daron Jacob (7th) said...

2. Kids are smarter than you think...Knowing this fact, they will gather as much candy as they can get. When they go home and dump them on their floors, they will sort it into two piles: candy they like and candy they don't like. Guess which ones they're going to be selling to the dentists?
4. Obviously, yes. If the kid is getting $20 allowance/week, then he/she will be a little more reluctant to sell his/her Halloween candy since it's easier for him/her to save up for that Xbox 360 and/or Black Ops (fyi, BEST GAME EVER). However, those who don't have as much mulah in their pockets are more likely to sell their candy since there are some stuff in the market that are more desirable than a Hershey's bar.

Justin Anderson (7th Period) said...

5. A program candy that was to be collected and selected randomly would have and enormous impact. Pricing each candy at differently depending how it effected children teeth would work more effectively as healthier candies could be separated from those that would promote cavities.

2. A program like attempting to buy back candy from children would most likely have no effect on candy consumption. Most kids instinct when they have money is to buy more candy. Most children would not give up candy even it was for money exchange for money.

Joel Mathew said...

2. This program will be unsuccessful because people could sell candy and use the money they make to buy more candy. Therefore it kills the purpose of such incentives
3.If i was to be paid by a dentist for selling candy by the pound i would charge $2 a pound and $120 per 50 pounds

Nick Moore (2nd Period) said...

When a kid has money, no matter who it is, their first thought is how much candy they can buy with it. If they are given money for their candy they will eventually spend it on more candy, especially if they receive more money than the candy costs. If a child already has money and does not desire any more or has no need for money since his,her parents buy everything for him/her then the reward for candy will be insignificant and candy consumption will continue.

Carina Velasco (2nd period) said...

4. The amount of money a child already has in most cases will probably have little influences on how much candy the child would sell. Children do not know the value of money, so unless they take money completely for granted, they have the more-is-better attitude about it. Even if a child already has more money that he would earn by selling candy, when his friend receives money for his/her candy, the child will still wish he had money from candy as well.
5. Many kids would probably participate in the program because everyone has candy they love and candy they don't love so much. Since kids would probably give away or trade away the candy they don't want anyways, being able to receive money for candy they do not want is just a bonus. If the candy was randomly selected, a child's fear of losing their favorite candies would disincline his/her participation.

Eric Holt (2nd period) said...

4. I think the amount a child already has will have a significant effect on how much candy they sell. A child who is well off and has everything will obviously not choose to sell as much candy, because they value it over the money they will gain by selling it. Likewise, a child who is not well off might choose to sell some candy to save up for some other better toy such as an xbox 360 (not a ps3).

2. A program like the one described will most likely be unsuccessful because when kids sell candy, other kids might be the ones buying the candy from them. Also, like I said before, some children who are well off might choose not to sell their candy in the first place.

McKenzie Stalcup (2nd) said...

2) Children lie all the time, and many children are too greedy to give a bunch of (in their mind) hard-earned sweets to someone who is just going to chastise them about it. Some may play along, but expected all kids to be swayed by that type of rational thinking is entirely unreasonable.

4) The amount of money a child already has definitely would have an effect on their decision to sell candy to their dentists. If a child has no money, there is more of an incentive to sell; if a child has lots of money, they will be less inclined to sell, and thus would be of no use.

Isaac I said...

2.This program would be unsuccessful due to the fact kids value candy over money and the money they would gain they would just spend it on candy anyway.
4. If a child has a large amount of money then it would be pointless for them to sell candy for money