Fishbowls and Candy Bars: Using Low-Cost Incentives To Increase Treatment Retention

order, were much more likely to keep their appointments when he kept a bowl of candy on the table in his office, particularly if the patient could be assured that his or her favorite candy brand would be available. In that same year, Dr. Bohn learned of Dr. Nancy Petry’s work with low-cost incentive systems in which the subjects selected vouchers for prizes from just such a bowl. He was attracted by the economic practicality of the approach and its potential to appeal to younger, more impulsive substance abusers. Drs. Bohn and Petry began to correspond, eventually meeting for the first time in 2002. In this article, researcher and clinician discuss their experience with the prize incentive system.