Balances of Incentives

In the book Freakonomics, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner discuss how child moral behaviors are connected to how effective a parent can be when it comes to enforcing rules and rewarding good actions. This form of tactic, known as incentives, is a way to accomplish things to get what is needed or desired. The concept to incentives is that a child should be able to learn from his or her mistake and gain an understanding of right and wrong. Not only do incentives pertain to a child’s behavioral development but also his or her success as an individual. A child’s response to negative and positive incentives is the most important predictor for success according to Levitt and Dubner.

Negative incentives can encourage a child to do right. Knowing if the right thing that is expected is not accomplished, then the desired outcome is either lost or not granted. For example, a child who usually does a sedentary job on his chores will either lose or have a deduction from his allowance. The effect from what is lost show that the child must take his chores seriously in order to prosper. Levitt and Dubner say that“….every one of us regularly passes up opportunities to maim, steal, and defraud. The chance of going to jail—thereby losing your job, your house, and your freedom….is certainly a strong incentive” (21).

For a parent, it is their responsibility to show the child what is right and wrong. If a child is caught stealing then the incentive is mental or physical punishment. Most parents punish their children by taking away television, game, and outside time in replace of staying in there room for a long-term process. Forcing a child to stay in their room takes on the scene of a prison; the child is isolated from their frie...

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... successful person whether it is a businessperson, multimillionaire, or musician artist can tell you as a child there was one person in their life that motivate them to accomplish their goals to success. Viewing that typical life leads a child to execute the work for the benefit of living well and happy.

Parents want their child to be successful and well off. In order for this to happen, they have to create incentives whether or not it is negative or positive. Using negative incentive are geared to breaking a bad deed or habit of a child. Whereas for positive incentive are to encourage a child to continue proceedings their goals. Negative and positive incentives are both needed for a child to take action in doing the right or expected thing to succeed in life.

Works Cited

Levitt, Steven D., Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics. New York: Harper Collins, 2005.