Halloween Hijinks

Halloween is a huge holiday in the United States. Just last year, Americans spent over $2 billion on candy alone, and 76% of households report handing out candy or leaving candy out for trick-or-treaters.

For those who leave bowls of candy unattended, there is always concern that some trick-or-treaters may take more than their fair share. Halloween hijinks, in the form of stealing candy was study by social psychologist, Edward Diener and colleagues in 1967. They conducted a study of 1,300 children’s trick or treating behavior in Seattle, Washington observing whether children would more than their allotted candy (1 piece) from an unattended bowl. 

They found that If the child’s parent was present, only 8% of kids took more than 1 piece. Of children not accompanied by a parent, kids trick-or-treating in a group were significantly more likely to take extra candy, particularly when the owner of the home did not know their name or where they lived.

This phenomenon could be reduced by simply placing a mirror near the candy. When forced to stare at themselves while stealing, far fewer children took more than their fair share.

Diener and colleagues believe that this illustrates a case of deindividuation, a phenomenon where people lose their sense of self when surrounded by a large group or when masked in anonymity such as on the internet or when in costume. People experiencing deindivudation are more willing to engage in riskier behavior than when they are under normal circumstances such as stealing candy on Halloween night. 

For people leaving out candy this Halloween, perhaps a perfectly placed mirror or “house under surveillance” sign may encourage trick-or-treaters to abide their better nature.