In one 1976 study, psychologists covertly observed the behavior of more than 1,000 trick-or-treaters at 27 homes in Seattle. Inside the doorway of each house was a similar setup: one bowl filled with candy and one bowl filled with pennies and nickels, both placed on a low table near the entryway. In each case, a researcher would answer the door and chat with the children standing outside, sometimes asking their names, sometimes letting them stay anonymous. After instructing the kids to take only one candy apiece, the researcher would announce that she had to return to her work in the other room, where she would watch through a peephole.
The sense of anonymity, as it turned out, made a big difference: The kids who were allowed to remain anonymous stole money and extra candy roughly three times as often as those who had given their names to the researcher.
Not that it stops after the early years. In a 1993 study of around 1,200 college students—the only group who may love Halloween more than kids—researchers found that those who dressed up for the holiday were also more likely to celebrate by drinking alcohol.
