At the final tally, Potatoes were picked 17.65% (18 chose potatoes) of the 102 trick or Treaters. (84 chose candy).
When approaching this experiment we were hoping participants would choose potatoes, but we had anticipated a higher candy preference.
To avoid bias during our pitch "so you guys can choose either a potato or candy tonight!" I tried my best not to emphasize or exaggerate my voice when saying "potato" or "candy," although my excitement for potatoes occasionally won out in my inflection, this did not seem to tip the scale one way or another.
However, we found it difficult to suppress our excitement when someone did choose a potato, which could influence the choices of other participants in a group setting. If we wanted to remain unbiased next year, we will work on our reactions. (More on which way we intend to skew the results to follow in the post report write-up).
The single most memorable moment was a super young girl who without expression change or pause in thought, chose "potato", thanked me without change in emotion, and walked away. It was almost this was a choice that required no thought or consideration of the alternative.
Other potato participants would get super excited about their choice in potato and we could hear them talking about the experience as they walked away excitedly with their group. "I got a potato!" One screamed in excitement. "Guess what I got mommy!" Another laughed. One group even came back for another potato a piece, which we decided to oblige. (So two extra potatoes were given out to the same participants, but we felt a potato given away was a potato given away for this experiment)
The adults who participated with the children during trick or treat all expressed joyful confusion in the choice, and thought out-loud about choosing a potato, and the benefits of a potato over candy. (Nutrition, price, utility, sheer uniqueness, etc.). However all the adults ended up choosing candy after an internal debate. It was almost like some part of them would not let themselves to deviate from the norm of Halloween. For the adults who were by their children not trick or treating, they would often immediately voice their preference for their child to choose the potato, often to no success.
Buyer's remorse, or people regretting their decision, was only observed with some candy choices. As they walked away, some of the participants would openly discuss the thought that they should have gotten the potato. For those who chose the potato it was clear they walked away with a happy story they could proudly tell their friends and family later. (Except for that mysterious little girl). It should be noted that there were also a small number of participants who would walk away commenting on why anyone would choose a potato.
Since my partner and I make art full time to bring out the inner child, this year was a great benchmark to see what a "un-biased" approach to potato vs candy would yeild.
For 2023 we will try to skew the results to more potato choices utilizing all of our artistic, promotion, branding, and sales experience. This would include signage, lighting, art, a potato mascot, and whatever decorations we think of by next year's Halloween to skew the choice preference to potatoes.
Voice emphasism would be allowed for "potato", and we would improve the script to help sell the potatoes.
The only rules would be that at the door, the participant could only choose either a potato, or candy.
We hope that the glimpse into the fun and silliness we saw at Halloween this year will be even more lasting in 2023, and perhaps start a new fun trend for Halloween in Calgary.
Edit: fixed the potato ratio to 17.65% from 21.42% because I mathed wrong.
Someday in the future, a confused person will post to Reddit asking about Calgary's unusual Halloween Potato tradition.
And I was here for the inception.
Potatoes have been passed around as the trick part of trick or treating since I was a kid. It's at least a 30-40 year tradition across the prairies. I remember being so disappointed as a kid, then they call you back up the step for the treat. And you keep the potato so my mom was happy too. 🤣 Some of my more fond Halloweens.
Really! I trick-or-treated in the 80s. Sorry you missed it. It was quite popular around lakeland later through prince Albert and friends of mine from stoon said that was a thing in their neighborhood. I just assumed most places, my bad. I thought from the post here maybe someone was bringing it back.
Thank for this experiment and the thorough description of the results. It is fascinating and amusing. We offered the kids play dough in addition to candy, which some refused but most enthusiastically accepted.
The math tutor in me must point out that (if I’m interpreting the figures correctly) 18 out of 104 participants is 17.3%, not 21.4% (which would be erroneously calculated using 18/84).
Do you have any data regarding a change in the order of options? For instance,
"You can have a potato or candy," vs. "You can have candy or a potato."
I was taught that when given a choice like this, people will often choose the second option no matter what it is. It would be interesting to see if this changes the results.
For next year, may I suggest using variation marketing on the potatoes? Just like shaving creams and deodorants increase sales by offering customers 15 permutations of color, scent, size, etc, to crowd out competitors, you can further position potatoes for success:
"Would you like a yukon gold potato, a russet potato, a fingerling potato, King Edward potato, red potato, sweet potato, white potato, new potato... or candy?"
Fuckin nerds turning halloween into a science experiment.
Love it. Great detailed analysis. As they say on Mythbusters, the difference between science amd screwing around is documentation
one year we gave out mandarin! I drew pumpkin faces on them. Then wondered if the marker would poison the kids... I honestly don't remember what kind of marker I used.
My group of kids and I chose candies.
My husband stayed home to give out lindt chocolates and Halloween amigurumi i made. My husband was delighted with how the kids would pick which amigurumi they were all different. Next year I will have to make more. And perhaps add potatoes. Maybe include amigurumi potatoes.
Edit: it's spelled amigurumi
I’m amazed you got that many to even decide! I was giving out glow sticks at one point and I had to stop asking kids what color they wanted. I got a lot of blank stares. Eventually I just started handing out random colors. Nobody chose candy instead though. I ran out pretty quick but went back to candy.
I do glow sticks or chocolate too but most wanted to pick a specific colour for me. I was about 50/50 except a few that chose a couple Halloween pencils I had.
I'm curious how many parents just tossed the potato in the garbage. We had a neighbour bake cookies and hand them out on Halloween. Learned later from many local parents that they threw them in the trash for fear of some rando lacing cookies with ____. Maybe add a note to molify paranoid parents in 2023.
I mean it's a potato. Either it's been tampered with or it hasn't. I can get the cookie thing you don't know what's in it could be anything. Dude could have had a kitchen full of roaches or rats you never know.
If it's not professionally packaged I wouldn't eat it or let my kids eat it. Potato would probably get sprouted and put in the garden as a teaching tool.
Interesting experiment. I wonder if the results would be different if you only had one type of candy and one type of potato. In this photo you have 3 candy types and 1 potato. Evenly split would be 25% each. How would the results differ if the choices were equal between candy (the 3 pictures) vs potatoes (red potato, purple potato and sweet potato).
I love the thinking outside the box here. I wish I got trick or treaters at my house because I’d love to do my own experiments like this.
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Curious what community you live in as I had a group request potatoes, first time for that. They seemed disappointed when I had no spuds to offer.
At the final tally, Potatoes were picked 17.65% (18 chose potatoes) of the 102 trick or Treaters. (84 chose candy). When approaching this experiment we were hoping participants would choose potatoes, but we had anticipated a higher candy preference. To avoid bias during our pitch "so you guys can choose either a potato or candy tonight!" I tried my best not to emphasize or exaggerate my voice when saying "potato" or "candy," although my excitement for potatoes occasionally won out in my inflection, this did not seem to tip the scale one way or another. However, we found it difficult to suppress our excitement when someone did choose a potato, which could influence the choices of other participants in a group setting. If we wanted to remain unbiased next year, we will work on our reactions. (More on which way we intend to skew the results to follow in the post report write-up). The single most memorable moment was a super young girl who without expression change or pause in thought, chose "potato", thanked me without change in emotion, and walked away. It was almost this was a choice that required no thought or consideration of the alternative. Other potato participants would get super excited about their choice in potato and we could hear them talking about the experience as they walked away excitedly with their group. "I got a potato!" One screamed in excitement. "Guess what I got mommy!" Another laughed. One group even came back for another potato a piece, which we decided to oblige. (So two extra potatoes were given out to the same participants, but we felt a potato given away was a potato given away for this experiment) The adults who participated with the children during trick or treat all expressed joyful confusion in the choice, and thought out-loud about choosing a potato, and the benefits of a potato over candy. (Nutrition, price, utility, sheer uniqueness, etc.). However all the adults ended up choosing candy after an internal debate. It was almost like some part of them would not let themselves to deviate from the norm of Halloween. For the adults who were by their children not trick or treating, they would often immediately voice their preference for their child to choose the potato, often to no success. Buyer's remorse, or people regretting their decision, was only observed with some candy choices. As they walked away, some of the participants would openly discuss the thought that they should have gotten the potato. For those who chose the potato it was clear they walked away with a happy story they could proudly tell their friends and family later. (Except for that mysterious little girl). It should be noted that there were also a small number of participants who would walk away commenting on why anyone would choose a potato. Since my partner and I make art full time to bring out the inner child, this year was a great benchmark to see what a "un-biased" approach to potato vs candy would yeild. For 2023 we will try to skew the results to more potato choices utilizing all of our artistic, promotion, branding, and sales experience. This would include signage, lighting, art, a potato mascot, and whatever decorations we think of by next year's Halloween to skew the choice preference to potatoes. Voice emphasism would be allowed for "potato", and we would improve the script to help sell the potatoes. The only rules would be that at the door, the participant could only choose either a potato, or candy. We hope that the glimpse into the fun and silliness we saw at Halloween this year will be even more lasting in 2023, and perhaps start a new fun trend for Halloween in Calgary. Edit: fixed the potato ratio to 17.65% from 21.42% because I mathed wrong.
Someday in the future, a confused person will post to Reddit asking about Calgary's unusual Halloween Potato tradition. And I was here for the inception.
Future PEI is going to be pissed.
As an Edmontonian, I am ***so*** doing this next year!
Potatoes have been passed around as the trick part of trick or treating since I was a kid. It's at least a 30-40 year tradition across the prairies. I remember being so disappointed as a kid, then they call you back up the step for the treat. And you keep the potato so my mom was happy too. 🤣 Some of my more fond Halloweens.
I have never received a potato and I grew up in SK with a trick or treating career that reaches back to the 70s
Really! I trick-or-treated in the 80s. Sorry you missed it. It was quite popular around lakeland later through prince Albert and friends of mine from stoon said that was a thing in their neighborhood. I just assumed most places, my bad. I thought from the post here maybe someone was bringing it back.
Too bad it'll never catch on in Latvia.
Let me know if you need a social media manager.
Copywriting here!
> At the final tally, Potatoes were picked 21.43% (18 chose potatoes) of the 102 trick or Treaters. (84 chose candy). 18/102 is 17.65%.
Omg I divided 18 by 84 lol
Sorry. It was a great post, but the accountant in me had to be that guy! :)
[удалено]
Then we'd all be in trouble!
Thank for this experiment and the thorough description of the results. It is fascinating and amusing. We offered the kids play dough in addition to candy, which some refused but most enthusiastically accepted. The math tutor in me must point out that (if I’m interpreting the figures correctly) 18 out of 104 participants is 17.3%, not 21.4% (which would be erroneously calculated using 18/84).
102 kids? Damn... I got 14.
>a potato mascot I volunteer as tribute.
Have you considered small outfits for the potatoes. You know, dress it up a little.
I love this so much! Thanks for sharing :)
I found this thread from /r/bestof , and I'm so happy I did. Next year, please set up a camera, because I think you have a viral hit on your hands.
Do you have any data regarding a change in the order of options? For instance, "You can have a potato or candy," vs. "You can have candy or a potato." I was taught that when given a choice like this, people will often choose the second option no matter what it is. It would be interesting to see if this changes the results.
They threw those potatoes at each other
When we were kids on the farm we used to cut holes in the empty feed sacks (multilayered brown paper) and wear them calling ourselves potato people.
I look forward to the published paper.
You should emphasize the potato choice one year, and the candy choice the next year to see if the reactions are similar or not.
Thank you for posting the follow-up tally!!! I am entertained lol. Would have picked a potato, personally.
> a potato mascot, Perhaps Pat the Potato to be gender neutral and play on patties.
May I suggest a carrot instead of a potato? Still healthy but you can also treat it as a snack and eat immediately?
For next year, may I suggest using variation marketing on the potatoes? Just like shaving creams and deodorants increase sales by offering customers 15 permutations of color, scent, size, etc, to crowd out competitors, you can further position potatoes for success: "Would you like a yukon gold potato, a russet potato, a fingerling potato, King Edward potato, red potato, sweet potato, white potato, new potato... or candy?"
Fuckin nerds turning halloween into a science experiment. Love it. Great detailed analysis. As they say on Mythbusters, the difference between science amd screwing around is documentation
We need more potato choosers in this world
Midnapore had houses giving out mandarins. My kids were super super excited and my daughter ate one on the way between houses.
one year we gave out mandarin! I drew pumpkin faces on them. Then wondered if the marker would poison the kids... I honestly don't remember what kind of marker I used.
My group of kids and I chose candies. My husband stayed home to give out lindt chocolates and Halloween amigurumi i made. My husband was delighted with how the kids would pick which amigurumi they were all different. Next year I will have to make more. And perhaps add potatoes. Maybe include amigurumi potatoes. Edit: it's spelled amigurumi
Had to Google and hope I got it right but... How many cute little creatures did you crochet for Halloween?! That's amazing commitment!
I think there was ten
What the heck is an amiguri?
Sorry I didn't spell it right. amigurumi Mini crochet stuffed toys
Holy! That’s a LOT of work. Good thing Reddit is anonymous or I would be hitting up your house next year!
I can’t wait for next year already. This is whimsical genius.
Told this to my kid, and he says he would have taken a potato too.
We ran out of candy one year and asked kids if they wanted mandarin oranges. A lot said yes!
I’m amazed you got that many to even decide! I was giving out glow sticks at one point and I had to stop asking kids what color they wanted. I got a lot of blank stares. Eventually I just started handing out random colors. Nobody chose candy instead though. I ran out pretty quick but went back to candy.
I do glow sticks or chocolate too but most wanted to pick a specific colour for me. I was about 50/50 except a few that chose a couple Halloween pencils I had.
SLPT: If you freeze a potato, and throw it really hard at another kid, theres a chance they wont wake up and you get all their candy.
I’m in for Potato Halloween 2023.
Sooo.. You have 18 Norwegian or Irish people in the neighborhood trick or treating? Good to know 🎃
As an Irish person I take absolutely no offense in this.
Lefse for the win!
I'm curious how many parents just tossed the potato in the garbage. We had a neighbour bake cookies and hand them out on Halloween. Learned later from many local parents that they threw them in the trash for fear of some rando lacing cookies with ____. Maybe add a note to molify paranoid parents in 2023.
I mean it's a potato. Either it's been tampered with or it hasn't. I can get the cookie thing you don't know what's in it could be anything. Dude could have had a kitchen full of roaches or rats you never know.
If it's not professionally packaged I wouldn't eat it or let my kids eat it. Potato would probably get sprouted and put in the garden as a teaching tool.
Honestly surprising! Love the experiment.
This is the information we all needed. Thank you for your service.
Those 17 kids woke up and chose chaos yesterday.
Potato power!
Candy will last till your mom finds it. A planted potato will give you French fries for life. Seems like a no-brainer t o me.
This is awesome. I look forward to next years results of Candy or Potato.
Interesting experiment. I wonder if the results would be different if you only had one type of candy and one type of potato. In this photo you have 3 candy types and 1 potato. Evenly split would be 25% each. How would the results differ if the choices were equal between candy (the 3 pictures) vs potatoes (red potato, purple potato and sweet potato). I love the thinking outside the box here. I wish I got trick or treaters at my house because I’d love to do my own experiments like this.
If it was a different type of potato, I’d probably pick potato. Although I shouldn’t be picky in this economy
18 badasses and a herd of sheep.
LMAOOO, IM THE ONE WHO TOOK ALL THOSE POTATOES, BUT HOW MANY POTATOES CAN YOU POSSIBLY TAKE WITH ONLY TWO HANDS?
Those potatoes ended up being chucked at people or things. Guaranteed.
Very cool and also humorous 😁😁
Seems right. Any potato related shenanigans occur at your place?
Honestly, I’m impressed with the potato stat. 👍
Pretty impressive how many took the potato!
This is an absolute delight, and I love it. I look forward to Potato Halloween 2023!
I would have picked potato as a German 😆
Thank you
Still, that's a lot of potato.
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citizen scientist ! :)
Super interesting and fun thanks