In honor of Halloween, 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. Also can you think of any unintended consequences that might arise from this seemingly well meaning act.
83 comments:
Christian Do
Period 4
2) Programs like those are unsuccessful because of the fact that kids would prefer a pound of candy than a dollar. In my case, I would have a reservoir of candy to last me til next Halloween when I was a kid.
3) One of the reasons why the program seems to be unsuccessful is because of the exchange rate of candy. One dollar per pound is ludicrous, especially since a Hershey's chocolate bar already goes for about $1-2, depending on the seller. A more fair exchange rate would be $3-5 per pound, and also depending on the type of candy. So $5 pounds would amount to about $15-25, so the program would have to have huge supplies of funds to buy all the candy from the kids.
1) Dentists may want to subsidize how kids don't really floss. Most kids don't want to spend a few minutes rubbing a string between all of their teeth that could make their gums bleed in the beginning anyways; it's very laborious. A way a healthcare provider tries to encourage a behavior is how they can award people more benefits of insurance if that person is a nonsmoker, nonalcoholic, has a gym membership, and is in a weight range that corresponds equally with their height. When the consumer is fit, a health insurance company will benefit them more because they will not have to help them as much from constant health problems. It encourages healthy habits because people like to win.
4) If the decision to sell candy was dependent on how much money the kid already had, then I don't think they would really correlate. Mostly, when kids are in a transaction of trading candy, they mostly are appealed to bye the type of candy they each prefer over what they actually possess. If a kid has a lot of money, it wouldn't really matter if he sold his kid because he would just be gaining more money. A kid with a lot of candy and little money would definitely sell unless he felt keeping the candy was more profitable, probably based on his situation at home. If a kid had little money and little candy, he may sell for a profit to then have more money to buy better candy. If a kid has a lot of money and little candy, he probably won't sell his candy because he has enough to buy more with. Having a lot of candy and money will probably only sell for better candy than more money, depending on what he prefers more: the present or the future cost.
- From the well meaning act of subsidizing certain consumption behaviors in order to manipulate consumers into healthy purchases for their scarce money seems to much like a scheme to me. It's as if some businesses like "healthy" ones are trying to run what they deem "unhealthy" businesses out of the competition because those healthy businesses were having a hard time gaining a standing in the free market of consumer supply and demand. It's the irony of the free market because it may actually be able to get rid of a variety that drives it.
Amy Krauhs
Period 4
2. The dentists buying candy from kids may be unsuccessful at reducing candy consumption because the dentists may offer too little for too much candy which would look unattractive in the eyes of a kid and thus the kid may not sell his or her Halloween candy.
4. Yes, I think that if a kid comes from a rich family where everything is already provided for them, then they will likely keep their Halloween candy instead of selling it for pennies to dentists. If a rich kid has parents that refuses to buy candy, then Halloween would be the best oppurtunity in the entire year to get some sweets, and without the need to pay for his daily meals, student debt, or gas, kid will keep his candy.
Jeffrey Zhou
6th
Aadithya Srivatsav
Period 4
2. Programs such as the giving candy for money wouldn't work all too well. First of all, a pound of candy will sell for way more than a dollar, so if i was a kid, I'd simply bring the candy to school and sell it at school, where I could make a much larger margin by selling each candy separately.
4. The amount of money that children have will play a factor in whether or not they sell the candy. For a poor kid, although the candy may be a luxury, selling it would make much more sense as they can buy something else with that money. However, for a rich kid, it doesn't matter at all.
The dentists have the candy. Now what do they do with it? Do they just throw away the candy? Of course not! They could easily just resell it to the company or retailers. By the time they do all this, much time would have passed. In that process, the candy becomes expired and dangerous. The dentists reselling the candy will just lead to more danger.
Annie Jiang
Period 4
2. The program above would be unsuccessful at reducing candy consumption is due to the fact that the money that they would gain back from the candy is too little or the children themselves can hide and refuse to sell their candy.
4.There is a correlation between the decision to sell a kid's Halloween candy depending on the kid's amount of money they have. For example, the wealthier or middle class children can afford to eat their candy because they have enough money to buy more or pay for the teeth problems that come with consuming a lot of candy whereas a lower class child needs the money and can't afford to pay for any dentist bills if he or she did not sell his or her candy.
Laura Luo pd 4
3) For me, in my opinion if anyone was so desperate to "buy" my candy, I would first overprice the costs and see what is the dentist's response would be. I would raise my market price just enough it would be break even. If the deal is successful, I would get the money to buy my favorite expensive candy, rather than some random commercial Halloween candy. I am very odd and peculiar. For other children would price, very innocently, just enough fall into the schemes of the dentist, a loss of profit. For instance, if they had more and more candy (for instance 5 lbs then 50lbs), I think they would sell more away when I have more than when I have less in order to gain a better profit. The reason is, just like the possibility curve, the more quantity I have, the less of the demand the dentist will buy. I was probably that kid years ago falling into the dentist's schemes. Now (if the dentist ever tries to attempt to pay me) if all else fails, I will just decline and savage all my candies until the dentist agrees to my demand.
4)It really depends. For me, I have the money available to buy candy whenever I feel like it. However, I always beg my friends to pay me in candy rather than something else because I'm I treasure candy very much. So, if I were offered some money in exchange for my candy, more than likely I will decline. For a child, being dependent on his/her parents, I would speculate the kid does not know the meaning of money yet. Even if that kid does, I would doubt he/she would sell his/her Halloween candy because this event is a one-of-a-kind holiday. Having the experience to beg for candy, to dress for the scare, and to run around at night is a joy that money cannot buy. Well, that's just me for says. I don't believe economic status has any influence in whether a child would sell his/her candy. As always, we cannot assume that this correlation between a economic status and likelihood of selling candy has a causation. At most, we need to first state what influences might make a child sell his/her candy in exchange for money bags.
Some unintended consequence (good or bad) that might arise from this seemingly well act is from what the article says: children gather candy just so they can gain money to buy more candy. (Get it?). This method defeats the whole purpose of the act. The dentists are only momentary stopping children from eating candy by rewarding them to get candy. Ironic. In order to stop a bad behavior, we award a good behavior. Maybe so, at least this act is a start for halting cavities for one day.
2) Dentists might not be willing to part ways with their hard-earned money just so some child eats 5 less candy bars that year. Also, if dentists make money off of fixing cavities, which are caused by children eating candy and sugar-filled foods, then why would they want to stop the consumption of sugar? This program would effectively work against the dentists' means of receiving money.
3) If I was paid 10 dollars for a pound of candy, I would sell it. I have seen how expensive candy is in grocery stores, and keeping the halloween candy for myself would satisfy any desires I have for a long time. If I had five pounds, I would most likely sell 3 or 4 pounds of the candy. If I had fifty pounds, at ten dollars a pound I would just sell all of the candy.\
Nima Faegh
4th pd
Paul Stallings
Period 6
2. The problem with this type of program is that the incentive may not be high enough. To a kid who has not learned the value of money, candy might be more appealing, and thus the child would be less likely to give up their candy in exchange for money.
4. I do not think the amount of money a child already has will influence their decision. If the child does not recognize the value of money they will prefer the candy over they money.
An unintended consequence would be what would the dentists do with the candy. Would they end up just throwing it all away.
1) Dentists might also want to subsidize the flossing of teeth. If children knew that they would get rewarded with money for flossing their teeth, then it might prove to be an incentive for kids to start flossing their teeth more often. Healthcare can reward their clients for being healthy and fit. For example, at Humana, when you sync fitness trackers to their app you can earn points for being active.
2) It can be unsuccessful because many times kids do not understand the value of money. However, they do understand the immediate satisfaction of eating the candy. Thus, this kind of program might be unsuccessful at reducing candy consumption among children.
Nina Jiang
Pye 4th
Jocelyn Dang
6th period
3)To sell a pound of candy, I would need to be paid $1. If I had 5 pounds, I'd probably bump the price to $5. For $50 pounds, I'd raise it to $15, which isn't much at all, but I prefer to not eat all of my Halloween candy if it means I get to skip out on cavities.Plus, I only eat a selective few of my Halloween candy, so losing one pound or 50 pounds of candy isn't a big deal.
5)Participation would change, depending on the age, because the younger the kids are, the more they treasure the candy and believe that all the candy they got is what they want to consume. Whereas, the older kids know what they like. So, participation would definitely lower with the younger kids because that means that they are losing something valuable. As for older kids, the change in participation will fluctuate depending on the batch of Halloween candy they have because the risk of losing their favorite candy bars varies per batch. But, in general, the participation will lower. If the most dentally damaging candy was charged higher, the older kids would participate more because older kids tend to treasure a few more dollars then one night's of Halloween candy. Younger kids would value the candy more than the money and continue to not participate.
Tom King,
Period 6
2.Why might a program, like the one above, be unsuccessful at reducing candy consumption?
The price the dentists buy the candy at can be low or the kids' will to let go of candy for money can be overestimated.
3.Do you think the amount of money a child already has will influence his or her decision to sell some candy? In what way?
A smart kid would prove his candy so that his demand is high while hiding the rest of his supply. Other kids could only be willing to sell candy if they have their bare necessity of candy supplied. So that they can eat candy and make a profit on the ones left over.
Taylar-Jayde Dodwell
6th period
2)I think this would be unsuccessful because in the eyes of most kids, candy has more value than money. Most children of average trick or treating age have no real understanding or need of money.
4)To a kid I don’t think money has a major impact on its life, to its knowledge. So why would it matter them if they had money or not if they don’t understand the meaning of it. If I was a 7 year old with 3 pound of candy and someone offered me a slip of paper in exchange for the 3 pounds of candy I walked for hours to collect, I’d have most likely denied the offer. But that’s just me. However I do fee like many other children would be the same way.
Patrick Stallings
Period- 4
2). A program such as this one might be unsuccessful because it assumes that all children would rather give up their candy for money. It assumes that all children want money and that they would gladly give up their sweets to obtain a small amount of money. It does not give the children any more options so a percentage of children would just keep their candy and the program would fail.
4). Yes i do think the amount of candy a child already has will influence them. If a child has an overabundance of candy they might be looking to get rid of some of it. However, if a child has little to no candy they would not give it up. They would keep it and savor it.
2) I think this program can be unsuccessful because kids are just going to sell the candy and go buy cheaper candy with the money they just made.
3) I will need to be payed at least 3 to 5 dollars for a pound of candy. If I had five pounds of candy I would sell it all and just go by more candy. If I had 50 pounds I would sell 48 pounds to make a total profit.
With this program lots of things can happen. If a hundred kids show up to sell their candy and you only have x amount of dollars and can not afford to buy all of their candy a problem arises.
jfkhgk
2)A program like what the dentist people are trying to start is bound to be unsuccessful. Most children wouldn't know what to do with the money they traded in for candy. Actually, most children wont need money because they often have a mother who will bend at their every will. Plus, what's no to say that the children or kids wont just but more candy. Personally, at the age of five or six I loved candy with a passion so much that I got a cavity at one point in my life, but still I wouldn't have traded the candy for money.
4) I do think that the amount kids have already of candy is a important factor in the kids decision. For starters, if the kid has pounds of candy he might be willing to sell one pound because then he will have the best of both worlds. He would have candy and some money. Say a kid has little candy then he wound't want to sell any.
-Jenifer Galan
Period 4
Nevin Thomas
Period 2
2) These programs would not work because, kids would much rather want sugar instead of money. They don't understand the value of money and this wont not give them incentive.
1) A dentist would also want to try to make the kid stop drinking soda maybe, for every bottle of water they drink they can bring the bottle to the office for money. And other healthcare professionals would want to reinforce positive behavior by maybe giving money for running miles on treadmills then recording it.
Unintended consequences could be that the kids grow up to be selfish and money minded from this.
Bethany Williams, Period 2
3. If I was to sell one pound of candy, I think I'd need to be paid around $2.50-3.00, just because a pound of candy can be a lot of stuff to eat (depending on the items). If I had 5 pounds of candy, I'd probably sell all of it, just because I have no real use for candy, and I could profit off of it, by selling the entire 5 pounds for one price, or breaking it up into smaller pieces and charging a fair-ish price. The same would go for 50 pounds- I'd probably sell all of it, just because i have no real use for candy.
4. Yes, I think if a child already has money, from maybe chores or something, they will be less likely to sell their candy. Children don't really have any use for money, or know how to manage it. So, in the eyes of a child, the candy has a larger value to them than the money they could receive by selling it.
Rachel Chang
2nd period
2)I believe that little kids do not realize the value of saving money. For a little kid, receiving money only means more opportunities to buy more. Maybe this time, their parents will agree because the kids promise to use their "own" money from the dentist. Giving children money for their Halloween candy will not be very effective because children will want to buy it back again, especially when they see that their peers have more candy than they do. I also do not see a program like this strong enough to put the candy industry out of business. Children are easily persuaded and will continue to consume candy even if they do sell their candy to the dentists.
4) Instead of how much money they have, I think the key factor is how much of an incentive money is. For some kids, like me, money is not a great incentive. In these families, children do their chores because it's their duty, not because they receive allowance from it. On the other hand, some kids are easily motivated by some monetary reward. For these children, selling candy will be a much viable option to reducing candy consumption. For others, not. Money may play a small factor, though. For a family that is not as well off, money is a great incentive and kids will readily give up candy for money.
Some unintended effects might be an increased motivation to do things just for the money. Children will place more value in having an allowance.
Jennie Chen
Period 2
2) I believe that the program would be unsuccessful reducing the amount of candy the kids would eat because they do not completely understand the value of money at such a young age. Candy is physically and mentally rewarding as it is immediate pleasure to be eating something sweet. Many kids have their parents pay for everything anyways. Kids don't see that money may be more valuable than the candy because candy is every child's love when it comes to Halloween, for that's what everyone looks forward to.
4) Yes I do believe that the amount of money that a person has effects the decision to sell the candy for money. If the child is more rich, they won't see a need to sell candy for more money that they already have. People sell things to get money back in order to buy other things, however, if people already have the money, they won't find the need to earn more. On the other hand, a poorer family will see the money as a greater value than candy.
Yassin Bennis
Period 2
2) Because giving candy for money is a bad idea especially since a dentist would give it little value. Kids would probably much rather sell it at school if they wanted to sell it period.
5) This would help reduce damage since the worst candy is more valuable to kids. In the end this would be beneficial but their would still be the other candy that is not as bad but still not good.
Renuka Gondi
4th period
3) It would depend on the type of candy. If it was the good branded ones, then I would charge about $25 for one pound. If it was the cheap leftovers then I would charge about $15. I would sell 3 of the 5 pounds. I would sell 47 of the 50 pounds.
4) In a way yes. If the child just wants the candy because they know their parents are not going to voluntarily buy them candy, then they will keep it. Also, if they are very wealthy, then they would not care about selling it. Sometimes, the parents may want to sell it, but the kids won't accept to sell it. They may still have the candy devil in them for the rest of the year!
Brian Huynh
Period 4
1) Dentists could for example, suggest kids to eat sugar free gum instead of candy. Exchange this amount of candy for this amount of gum.
2) This program is unsuccessful because kids do not understand opportunity cost. The point of Halloween for kids is to gather the most candy. To us, money is much valuable than candy but for kids they do not see the same view.
Lindsey Jones
2nd period
2. Why might a program, like the one above, be unsuccessful at reducing candy consumption?
This particular program, bribing children into trading candy for money would be unsuccessful because children typically live in the moment, especially at a young age. Money can be acquired from their parents. Hunted candy, a utility rewarded from a fun, Halloween night cannot be traded for money. If a child has put up much effort, staling around the neighborhood, they will want their candy! Furthermore, negotiations between children and dentist will not work out. Candy for sugar free candy, candy for pencils, candy for healthy teeth, and candy for vegetables is a horrible trade in a child’s eyes. Take my advice because, you know, I’m a id too.
3. How much money would you need to be paid to sell a pound of Halloween candy? How much candy would you sell if you had five pounds? What about fifty pounds?
If trading candy for money is even considered, 7 dollars would be a suffice trade for a 1 lb bag of candy. I would give away 3 lb bags of candy for 21 dollars. For fifty pounds, I would happily take 350 dollars. I honestly believe this to be a fair trade, 7 dollars=1 lb bag of candy. Take it or leave it! Either way, it would be a win-win situation for me!
Troy Lilly
Period 6
2) Programs such as this may be unsuccessful due to the fact of candy collected for free having a higher value than the dollar price the program is willing to pay. For example, if a kid is only being paid five dollars for the candy he worked all night to collect, why would he not just keep the candy? Kids at a young enough age to trick or treat will usually spend money on candy anyways.
4) Of course the amount of money a kid already possesses will influence his decision on selling his candy. If he has 100$ in his piggy bank and is only offered 5$ for a big piece of his candy, why would he be willing to sell his prized possession? 5% of what he has at home will not motivate him to get rid of his candy, especially if he spends the money on candy anyways.
Zoheb Hirani
Period 4
2) This program may not appeal to kids who get huge allowances. Also, the satisfaction of eating candy NOW is nothing compared to getting money to buy stuff LATER.
3) I would need at least 20 dollars for a pound, 100 dollars, for five pounds, and 1000 dollars for fifty pounds. The reason being is that it would take an hour to get a pound of candy for me.
Nikhil Njaravelil
Period 4
1.) Dentist could give out raffle tickets for drawing for cool prizes. Exchange this amount of candy for this much tickets.
2.) This program won't work because the dentists will lose money from this, its the kids choice if they want to have cavities or not.
3) It would be unsuccessful because a child usually isn't wise enough to put his or her long-term goals over their short-term wants. They'd rather have the immediate gratification of eating that candy right then and there than save up money for later use.
4) If the child or the child's family is already affluent, then they most likely won't even care about selling the candy for money. They don't have to worry about eating too much candy because they are comforted by the fact that their parents can afford to get them to the dentist and get a treatment on it. On the other hand, if there is a child that doesn't have that much cash to begin with, then the child would've learned first-hand how much of a difference that money makes in a person's life. This category of children would be the people at the dentists' office selling whole bags of candy in return for a little bit of financial security and happiness in their life.
Bryan Nguyen-Le
2nd Period
2. I doubt that buying candy from kids will be successful in reducing candy because of the deviation between price and quantity. The kids wouldn't want to sell their candy at too low of a price for the quantity they have.
4. The amount of money the child has won't have any affect on their final decision. If the child doesn't even recognize the monetary value of money to begin with then the candy will be worth more to them then the money anyways.
2)Programs like these will be unsuccessful because of the value of candy in the eye of the children. They value a pound of candy over a dollar, which would in turn defeat the motivation to trade it in for a dollar.
4)Definitely. If a child comes from a background of wealth they will almost certainly not trade their candy in for money. However, a poor child may view the candy to be a luxury and thus also not trade in their candy for money.
Minh Le
4th pd
2. Programs like these where the dentist offers children money for their candy can be unsuccessful because children don't value money that much. Children rely on the parents for money so even if they had the money, they would either give it to their parents. Also, one pound for one dollar is not profitable. It would be better to wait till around January when all the other children finish their candy and then sell it.
3. One pound for one dollar is a absurd trading rate. It might take about 15 minutes of hard work walking from house to house to get one pound of candy, especially if the only thing they are giving out is lollipops. That would mean you would be able to get $4 per hour of trick or treating. It would be much more profitable to just do chores around the house. IF the price was around $4 per pound then it would be much more profitable. Five pound would get them $20 and then more kids would be willing to give up their precious candy.
Steve Philip
6th Period
Rachel Kuruvila
Period 4
2) Programs like those could be unsuccessful in reducing the amount of candy consumption because they are just shifting who owns the candy. Adults are much like children, in that most of them have a sweet tooth as well. With that much candy just sitting in the office, it is bound to be eaten. If not by a child, then by someone in the office. The amount of consumption by kids may decrease, but overall, it could remain the same.
4) If a child comes from a relatively wealthy family, he probably will not see the need to sell his candy because he probably already has most of the things he wants. A child who lives in a middle class family may, however, have items that he wants but his parents can't necessarily afford all of the time. So, based on the need for the money, children could decide to or not to sell.
An unintended consequence could be people not participating in Halloween anymore. If little children were taking the candy I worked hard to pay for just to make a profit themselves, I would probably just take my candy straight to the dentist, or just not give it out at all. Why waste money?
Justin Hoang
6th Period
3)To sell a pound of Halloween candy, I would need to be paid at least $10. If I had five pounds of candy then I would probably sell four pounds. Out of fifty pounds, I would sell forty- five pounds.
4)I believe all children are going to eat some of their Halloween candy and sell the rest whether they are rich or broke, because that means more money in their pockets or buy better candy.
Lynnie Dickson
Period 6
2) The program listed in the article is sure to fail. Although dentists are willing to pay children for their candy, many children will prefer to keep their candy to themselves. They would prefer a pound of candy over a simple 5 dollars. And whats to say that some kids wouldn't use the five dollar to buy another candy.
4) There is without a doubt that the amount of money a child already has will influence the amount of candy or the willingness for the child to sell their candy. The child will see more value in the pound of candy over a mere five dollar bill. This will decrease the chance of the dentist receiving candy after Halloween night.
Todd Podbielski
6th
2) This program would be largely unsuccessful especially to younger kids because what kid will sel their hard earned candy. Also what happens after the denitst gets the candy? Do they just waste it or does it just end up in the kids hands again.
4) This depends on the kid and the moeny they. If kids are not allowed to have any except halloween candy then they won't sell, espciallly if they have money. But if a kid does not have money and isn't the biggest fan of candy it would be a no brainer to sell even if the kid does not recieve much in return.
2) The program wouldnt be very successful due to the fact that kids rely so heavily on emotions at younger ages. Sugar from the candy sets off a positive response in the brain which is addicting and children seek to feel that satisfaction over and over again because they cant think far beyond "I like it." Most children would have no real use for a couple of dollars, their parents buy them most of their things, they would much rather have the candy at that age.
4)Money will defiantly affect a childs decion making process when considering selling his candy. While answering number one I thought about the fact that maybe children from a family with less money may be more likely to sell the candy because they see the chance to help their family or buy something they wanted but could never afford. While a child from a family where everything is provided for him, he would feel better eating his hard-earned halloween candy and the change he would get for selling it.
Joe Ridyard
Period 4
Tia Lal
Period 2
1) I brush my teeth twice a day but I do not have the incentive to spend time flossing. However, if dentists payed me to floss then I could probably spare a few seconds. There are also other examples of healthcare providers trying to promote healthier habits like giving out prizes for walking a certain number of steps or getting the flu shot.
2) I don't think a program like this will reduce the consumption of candy by children. Many kids can eat the candy they like and then sell the treats that are not as favorable, which are probably relatively healthier than the other candies.
Sherin Johnson
6th period
2.The suggested program would not reduce candy consumption because being the kids that they are they value candy more than its monetary worth. By practicing this program it would also be unbeneficial to the dentist to support the program because by decreasing the consumption of candy by children they are consequently decreasing the demand for themselves, thus making it a disadvantage to the dentists and an advantage to the kids' health in the long run.
4. If the child gives importance and understands the value of money that he/she has, then yes this knowledge would influence that particular child's decision to sell his/her stash of candy. However, this all depends on the interests of the individual person on what is worth more value: the candy or money. Some children may find it pleasing to be paid in candy while others wish to be paid in cash. It all depends on what each specific person's definition and worth of money and candy means to them.
3. First of all, if dentists were so eager to buy candy for unknown reason's I think it is highly likely that I will put the worth of my candy around 1.5 times what it really might cost. The price will change depending on the kind of candy in the bad like how much chocolate candy, how many Kit-Kats, and things like that. Depending on the dentists thoughts I could change opinion, but will likely firmly stick with my first option. If it was me, I decided to keep at least .5-1 pound of candy on me to supplement daily sugar needs in high school. If I had 50 pounds of candy, I would sell 49 pounds to keep at least 1 pound.
4.It could depend, but more likely it probably will. At this point in time, I'm a person that has adequate amount of money to buy the minority things that I desire. Bringing in a few bucks from just selling small amounts of candy wont help me, so there is no real option to sell it. On the other hand, if you are perceptibly low on money, it is a simple choice that people decide to save up some money for later use on more important things.
Chris Sani
4th Period
Karen George
6th period
2)This program will be unsuccessful at raising consumption because kids are not interested in money as they are in candy. Kids are not as worried on how much money they have but are rather focused on the greatest amount of candy that they can get because candy is their life. This will reduce the amount of candy that is given back to the dentists to receive money.
4)Yes. If a child already receives a lot of money from home, then they will not focus on money. But even if a kid does not have that much money, he still won't worry as much because his parents are providing everything he needs.
I don't see any consequences that could arise from this program.
Jasmine Luke
Period 6
1. Dentists most probably want to subsidize cavities in kids, however I doubt few dentists would want participate in this program because how else would dentists make money. Doctors sometimes encourage healthy behavior by giving patients goals to meet like exercise instead of large doses of medicines particularly for diabetic patients.
2. The program above may be unsuccessful if children, with the money they got form selling candy, used it to buy better candy for themselves.
Thus, the unintended consequence of this program is kids just getting better candy.
Timothy Krauhs
Period 6
2. The system such as giving candy for money because as a little kid money has far less value compared to the candy.
4. I do not believe the amount of money a child has effect candy given for money. because if your like me in middle class family or poor kid your far more interesting keeping your candy no matter how much money you can for a piece.
2. THis program could be unsuccessful because kids love candy, and if the have the opportunity to eat it, they will. Also, if they're making money from selling candy the profit they'll make will most likely go back into candy.
4. Yes, I do think that the amount of money the child has will influence his or her decision to sell. It they already have money, they will have less desire to get more because they probsbly don't understand the concept of saving and accumulating money.
Sylvester Inyang
Period 2
2.I think it would be very unsuccessful because the incentive isnt strong enough to a 10 year old after all they spent that whole night to get that bucket of candy.
4. I think it just depends on the the type of kid it is for example a kid that grew up in 3rd ward houston might be more reluctantto sell his candy than a kid that grew up in Missouri City
Sheryl Machado
6th period
2. The program creates a problem of the incentive being too high. Kids do not learn the value of money at a young age, thus the candy is much more appealing to them. Allowing the exchange of money for candy will occur less likely than the other way around.
4. I think that no matter how much money a kid has, it wont effect in their decision that they make. Logically if kid doesn't recognize the value of money they will probably prefer the candy over the money.
George Waterous
Period 4
2) Many kids want candy more that they want money. Also, the kids many sell some, but they may still keep some.
3) Kids will want a lot of money for the candy because they feel like they have earned it. The kid walked from house to house to get the candy. Halloween candy for a kid is extra valuable.
Benjamin Kurian
Period 4
2) This program of dentists buying candy from kids might be unsuccessful because a lot of kids love candy and they will not want to give it up because also money means very little to them (if they are a t a young age)
3) Yes, the amount of money the child already has can be a big whether the child will sell their candy. If they already have enough money, they will probably not sell any of their candy. Someone who doesn't have any money, they will probably sell their candy until they reach their goal.
2. The program would be unsuccessful due to the fact that halloween is not the only holiday that encourages candy consumption. Christmas time and Easter are also times when candy consumption is great. Also candy can be bought from any store and it would be relatively cheap.
4. Yes the amount of money a child has influences their decision to sell candy. If the child is earning some sort of allowance or is from a wealthy household than money is not an issue for them. Candy may not be as readily accessible as money so it is valued more than money. Also getting that much candy feels like an achievement for kids and would be reluctant to sell for a low price.
Amitabha Mitra
6th Period
2) Any program (including the one discussed) would seem to be ineffective at reducing candy consumption. Kids don't even appear to be highly motivated by money, so offering monetary incentives likely will not help. It is impossible to manage everybody's diet and is therefore impractical to cut out candy without ceasing to make it completely.
4) The amount of money a child already has will definitely influence his/her decision to sell candy, because if they believe they already have a sufficient amount of money, they likely will not sell what they earned. Likewise, if a child feels he is in need of money, then selling candy might be a good option. It also depends on whether the kid wants to make money. If their parents buy everything for them, then some kids might not see any need for money and will therefore choose not to sell- after all, their parents are paying the medical bills associated with potential dental damage as well...
Yvonne Thong 2nd
Ashish Jain
4th period
2) A program like this is not a great idea. After kids spend a full night walking door-to-door gathering all the candy that they possibly can, they are not going to give it all up for a couple of green, rectangular sheets of paper. At their point of life, it means nothing to them.
4)I think the kids background definitely affects how they will react to receiving money versus candy. Granted, most children would rather have candy considering the fact they barely understand the power of money, but depending on where they are from they will decide to take the candy instead of the money or vice-versa.
Christine Nguyen
period 6
2) Programs like those can be unsuccessful because not every child even goes to the dentist, so there's room for undercoverage to occur. Moreover, not all dentists may necessarily be participating in the program, which means parents would have to inconvenience themselves to find the dentists that participate in the program in hope that their child gains a couple of bucks.
4) It all depends on the child. If the child is like the typical child who cares only about their sugar, then the amount of money they could potentially get will mean nothing to them. However, if this child by chance happens to have an understanding of the value of money, than the child is more likely to fork over their candy, most likely the "bad candy," in exchange for money and go out and buy better candy. So regardless of what the dentists may try to do, the children will still be chowing down on some unhealthy cavities.
4. Do you think the amount of money a child already has will influence his or her decision to sell some candy? In what way?
I do believe the amount of money a child already has will affect his or her decision on whether or not to sell the candy or not. If the child gets slipped a dollar from his or her parents every now and then, receives allowance, or receives money from working around the house, he or she is less willingly to sell the candy. The money is already in the child's hands, why would he or she receive more money if he or she has candy to be satisfied with? In addition, children have yet to learn the value of money and how to use money. There is an immediate satisfaction with candy, but receiving money, the immediate action a child may do is place it into a piggy bank, which makes money seem worthless as the money just stays there for the time being. A child cannot immediately do anything with the money.
5. Right now, anyone choosing to sell candy can pick which treats they sell. How do you think participation in the program would change if the pound of candy was selected randomly from all the candy collected trick-or-treating? What if the most dentally damaging candies were priced higher?
I think the participation in the program would change if the candy was selected randomly because if I wanted to sell candy to this program and got to choose which candy to sell, I would sell the candy I dislike. If the candy was randomly selected, I would not want to sell the candy as much since I would want to keep the candy I liked. If the most dentally damaging candy were priced the highest, I would not want to sell my candy as I prefer hard candies and caramels. People would probably just choose the candy they dislike, sell it, and just keep the candy they prefer.
Lillian Nguyen
Period 2
Elyssa Buntzel
4th p
2) This program may be unsuccessful because some kids, and parents, may seek to take advantage of the system. By this, they would give up a partial amount of the candy just to receive the reward of money.
4) Yes, because if I had alot of candy then I would be more willing to sell off some of it because I know I can only eat so much before I get bored with it. However, if I only had a small amount of candy, I may not sell it because I would want to cherish the little that I was able to get.
Cecil Sabu
Period 4
2) A program like this could fail because many children would rather have candy than a little money. Also some parents don't let their children handle money, so the kids wouldn't want their candy to be replaced with money anyway.
4)The amount of money a kid has may influence his/her decision to sell their candy. If a child does not have many other ways of earning money. they might be more willing to sell their trick or treating candy than someone that gets weekly allowances or some other source of money.
1. While brushing one's teeth is a daily habit for most people; flossing is a practice most people should do more often. If dentists paid people to floss, many more people would have healthier teeth and gums. Another example of subsidized healthy habits are when companies provide gym memberships and incentives to be fit for their employees.
2. A program like the one in the article may be unsuccessful at reducing candy consumption because many kids, especially little ones, would rather eat their candy immediately rather than wait until a visit to the dentist to get paid for it. Also, there are many kids who would just use the money to buy more of the candy they prefer. Thus defeating the original purpose.
Tosin Olabinjo
4th period
Amy Nguyen
6th Period
2.Why might a program, like the one above, be unsuccessful at reducing candy consumption?
I think it might be unsuccessful due to the fact children may give their candy to have money to pay for candy they actually like. I mean having the chance of getting rid of the nasty and sometimes suspicious candy in exchange for cash to buy more, shows that this program might not work. The one of the first things a child will think after selling his or her sweets is that they can buy better and more tasteful candy.
4. 4. Do you think the amount of money a child already has will influence his or her decision to sell some candy? In what way?
I think it will influence the child whether or not to sell his or her candy because if the child is rich, they will see the money as pointless, since they have an abundance of it. Candy will appear more rare and scarce than money to them, making kids desire candy more. However, if they are impoverished and parents cannot provide enough food on the table, I think kids are more likely to sell. It does depend on how the financial situations of the households the children are in.
Caitlin Davis
Period 2
2) Programs like this can be unsuccessful at changing the consumption of candy because kids will still save however much they want to eat plus more before selling the extra to a program. Also, at a young age, candy is more appealing than money.
4)The amount of money a child already has will probably not influence whether or not they sell their candy because kids will always want more money.
Fabian Romo
Period 4
2) This program I think would be extremely unsuccessful because kids find candy more valuable than money. At an early age, kids have more of a sweet tooth then greed.
4) I think there will definitely be an influence. If a child comes from a wealthy background then the likelihood of them giving up the candy is unlikely. While those who are less fortunate may see candy as a luxury and it means more to them since they don't really have much so they wouldn't give it up either.
Luke Emery
Period 6
3) The way I see it, a normal size candy bar goes for $1, and it takes about 3 small size candy bars to make one full size bar. So with that in mind, I would have to be paid about $5 for a pound of candy. I would sell all 5 pounds and make at least $25. I would keep the rate the same for 50 pounds, and sell it for $250.
4) I think it could possibly play a role, because if a kid already has enough money to be content and wants his candy, he might not sell it. However, if the kid needs money for something that he wants and does not currently have it, selling his candy will get him closer.
One unintended consequence would be taking the spirit out of trick-or-treating. Instead of collecting candy for pure enjoyment and consumption, kids as a whole might start collecting simply for monetary gain.
Celine De Leon
2nd period
2) This program could be unsuccessful because young children see candy in a higher light than they see in other incentives. Candy for children is something they want more than money.
4) The more money families have does play a part because kids won't see any type of need to trade in their candy. Therefore, these kids will not participate in the program.
Julie Joy
6th Period
2) This program would be unsuccessful because kids at young ages do not know the value of money and would rather have candy over money. Kids see candy more appealing than money.
4)The more money a child already has will influence their decision to sell candy because if they are wealthy they can just buy more, but if they aren't candy is more of a reward for them and something they do not always get.
Jacob John
6th Period
3. To buy a pound of Halloween candy from me, I would need to be paid at least $10. If I had 5 pounds of candy I would sell all of it, depending on how much money that individual would give me. Even if I had fifty pounds, I would probably only sell 49 and keep 1 for myself.
4. I think that if a child (under 13) were to sell there candy if they had money already, they wouldn't sell much at all. This factor influences them highly because in their mind, if they have some money, why need more. Their minds are not in depth with the concept of having money.
An unintended consequence that may occur would deal with the child being obsessed with getting candy just to trade it in for money, which could teach the kid a bad lesson that everything in life should be traded just for money.
Amanda shah
Period 4
4) Yes, if the child comes from a wealthy or even well off family they will the incentive to give away a pound of candy for a few bucks.
They aren't gaining anything they don't have already have so there will be no trade.
2)I think these programs are unsuccessful at reducing candy consumptions because eating candy is part of our habits and enjoyment a since birth. Everyone loves candy. No one, especially children wants to give away the candy they have worked hard for, going door to door in down the houses for one or two bucks
Justin Freker
Period 4
2) This program would be unsuccessful because the dentist are trying to make something out of nothing. It is a once a year thing for kids and parents would not take their candy away so they can make one or two dollars. Way to much work.
3) This program would be unsuccessful for so many reasons. One of them is that anyone could just go to the grocery store and buy candy, then just sell it back to the dentist anyways. What would the dentist do with all of the candy in the end? this is way to much time and money for something so pointless. Let the kids keep their candy I hope this is not real because this made me mad.
Alyssa Wilson
6th Period
2. The program can be unsuccessful because candy is more valuable in the moment for some children in opposition to money; they can consume it now, in comparison to having to wait to spend the money they would receive.
4. Yes, if a child is already given an allowance by their parents, or get money for good grades, giving up their Halloween candy for more money will not me as satisfying as it would be to a kid with no allowance who is not used to having pocket money.
Guadalupe Alvear
2nd Period
4. I believe the amount of money the child has will definitely affect the amount of candy he/she sells. If they have a lot of money already then they will keep their candy instead of selling.
2. I believe programs like these would fail because kids like to eat the candy that they spent all night collecting. They wouldn't like the idea of losing all their candy and hard work, even if they got paid.
Cameron Molfetto
4th Period
2) Many kids do not value money as much as candy, therefore candy consumption will remain the same.
4) If kids have a lot of candy, they will most likely give away some of it for money, and consume the rest.
Kimberly Mendez
Period 4
2) Programs like the one mentioned in the article are unsuccessful because they don't take into consideration the mindset of kids. Kids find candy way more pleasing and attractive than they do money, thus, they would not trade in their candy for a simple dollar.
4.) Yes, if a child already has a significant amount of candy then they would definitely sell a portion of it but if not then they would probably not sell the candy.
2. To a 4 or 5 year old kid a dollar looks pretty bleak compared to bags and bags of candy. Maybe if dentist were trying this with teenagers or older kids they would get a better result. Kids could always take the best candy or their favorites and thus, getting the best of both worlds and defeating the dentist initial purpose.
4. Never underestimate a child's greed. Do you think the amount of candy they already have will stop them from trick-or-treating and getting, begging, or wanting more? I think the child's greed could either influence them to keep all their candy or sell all their candy for all the money, there are two extremes. But a smart kid would do half and half.
The dentist can't control what the child will then go buy with the money they are given. they could then go buy something worse for their health. And where are dentist offices getting this extra money? They are double dipping into their supply buy using money to buy the candy which reduces the amount of patients and cavities they have.
Briona Caruthers
6th Period
2) A program like the one dentists are trying to use could fail because kids don't know the real value of money and would rather keep their candy
4) The amount of money a kid already has would influence them because if they wanted a new toy but didn't have enough money for it they would sell some candy to get the toy.
Ryan Igbinoba
Period 4
Jesse Avila
4th Period
3) Given that all types of candy have different price values regardless of their similar weights, it would be quite difficult to come up with a common exchange rate of how much money should be paid for 1 pound of candy. I personally think for 1 pound, I need to be payed $3.25. As for how much candy I would sell, I would sell as many pounds of candy I wouldn't be able to finish.
4) Regardless if a child comes from wealth, it would be very unlikely that they'll understand the concept of saving money. In their eyes, both are considered a luxury and they'll want more of the other they do not already possess.
2) A program such as this might be successful for some children in the short term, but as for me and children like me (ie with a sweet tooth) we would rather eat the candy because that is what we would spend the money on anyways. Why not just cut out the middle man
4)If you offered more money than the candy was worth you may illicit a response, this could seem counterintuituve due to the issue of that same money being used by the children purchase candy. The only way this method would work is if you relied on the parents to not allow the children to use the money on things like candy
Daniel Sanchez
2nd Period
2. This program will no affect towards candy consumption because I believe that if a child were to turn in their candy for money, they would right around and go buy better candy than they received in the first place.
4. No because children are always searching ways to earn money for themselves rather than getting it from someone else, and when they have money they will want something more pleasurable, such a a video game or a toy.
Samantha Fonseca
4th Period
2. The program might be unsuccessful because of the set price of one pound of candy not being high enough to appeal to the children. If the amount of money that they would receive isn't that high, the children will prefer consuming the candy that they have and would get more joy out of it. Most children do not see the value in money and would find eating their candy more valuable and appealing.
4. I think that the amount of money a child already has does influence his or her decision to sell their candy. Since the kids already have money, they would only see that they are losing the amount of candy that they have and wouldn't care about getting more money since they already have some. The children would see it as losing more than they would gain if they were to make the decision of selling their candy. Also, most kids use the money that they already have to buy candy so making the decision to sell their Halloween candy that they got for free would be pointless.
Skylar Romo
Period 4
3) I would need at least $10 per pound, if I had 5 pounds I would sell all five and if I had 50 pounds I would sell it all.
4) Yes it will influence a child's decision especially if they have a large allowance they may not feel the need to sell any candy while a poor kid or one who likes money more than candy (ME) may be willing to sell all his candy.
Brayden Theriot
4th Period
2). A program such as this one might be unsuccessful because it assumes that all kids would give up their candy for money. It assumes that all children want money, and that they would give up their sweets to obtain a small amount of money. It does not give the children any more options so an amount of children would just keep their candy and the program would fail.
4). Yes i do think the total amount of candy a kid has will influence them. If a child has a great quantity of candy they might be looking to give up some of it. However, if a child has little candy to give up, then they would not give it up. They would keep it and savor it.
Joshua Roy
Period 2
2. These programs would not be successful because at a young age, children often don't realize the value of saving money. They look at the short-term satisfaction and enjoyment versus long term benefits.Thus the entire incentive of the program is not strong enough to be successful. In addition, other factors such as the dentist's willingness to buy the candy can also have an impact on the turnout of the success of the program
4. Money could possibly influence a child's decision of whether or not he/she should sell candy. For example, a child with less money may sell their candy in order to earn a profit and buy something more meaningful to them. However, a child from a wealthier family may keep the candy versus selling it because many luxuries have already been provided for them.
Yash Mathur
Period 6
2)I believe that the program trying to be enitiated by the dentists has some major flaws due to the fact that children being the age they are wpuld not know the reason behind the exchange of candy for money, and will see the diffrence only in terms of amount. thus prefering a bundle of candy over bills
4)with a child not knowing the actual worth behind money, them already having money will not result in them willingly sell their candy for the fact that selling their andy would almost feel unfair and would not know what rate to sell what.
Christian Beduya
Period 6
4) Of course. Isn't this one of the most underlying factors if not the most important? A child will want to sell the candy if he has a need for the money causing this child to make a decision based on want and need. This already has an subconscious effect on the child's spending habits(if the child knows what is good for him or her). Then again, if a child is in no need of money, he or she will not sell the candy but rather indulge in it. Again, it is all about want and need and resources that will effect the child with the candy.
5) If the pound of candy needed to be sold were candy that were randomly chosen, then the amount of participants involved may diminish. However, the diminishing number may not be at all that great. As for the higher prices for the more dentally damaging candy, this could really bring about more participants. In the grand scheme of things, participants who are involved in this program, I predict, would choose to sell these types of candy more readily due to the higher price proposed. Then again, human nature suggests that delayed gratification is unnatural and thus participants, again, I predict, would be opt to enjoy the more dentally damaging candy in that present moment rather than look to the possible, more attractive benefits in the future.
Muizz Soomar
2nd Period
2) A program such as having dentists buy the candy from the children in order stop the kids from eating the unhealthy treat does have some flaws. The kids could sell all the candy that they did not want or were not going to eat so that they get money and also get to keep the good candy. Also the money would allow the kids to go buy better candy then they had when they went door to door.
3) I would want a lot of money to be able to sell a pound of candy, but that would never happen. One must have a reasonable price in order for the dentist to purchase all of it. For one pound, it should cost around 3$, 5 pounds should cost around 10-15$ and 50 pounds should cost no less then 65$. I think that price per pound would be unfair tho. There should be price per candy per pound since some candies are more valuable and popular among the children.
Joshua Joseph
Period 6
2.To a kid who has not learned the value of money, candy might be more appealing, and thus the child would be less likely to give up their candy in exchange for money. For that reasoning, that kind of program would not work.
4. I do believe the amount of money a child has will influence his or her decision. If a child has an unlimited amount of money due to the way there parents treat them they have no need to give up candy for money.
Divya Joseph
Period 6
2)This program to have dentist buy the candy from kids in order to stop them from eatting too much candy will not work. It will not work because the kids can sell some of their candy and get money and go buy more candy that they like with that money. The kids won't learn anything from this program.
4)The amount of money will influence the child's decision to sell his or candy because if the child already has so much money then they wouldn't mind not selling their candy and they would think their candy is better then the money.
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