• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Human Interest / What’s a Penny Worth?

What’s a Penny Worth?

December 24, 2001 By admin

A penny for your thoughts? That’s not much, as few Iowans place a high value on the one-cent piece, according to a study by a sociology professor at Iowa City/Kirkwood Community College. During recent months, Dr. Elizabeth Duffy and 36 students placed pennies, dimes and nickels “heads-up” on sidewalks all around Iowa City and Coralville, then stood back and watched. The group started with eight dollars in change — 50 pennies, 50 dimes and 50 nickels. More than 23-hundred people walked past the pennies — only 26 pennies were picked up. Dr. Duffy says people frequently ignored the copper pennies but were more likely to snatch up a shiny nickel or dime. A U-S Senator from Arizona introduced a bill earlier this year that would eliminate the use of pennies, so Duffy wanted to study the coin’s value to Iowans. Duffy says age -did- make a difference in the study as children were most likely to pick up the pennies. Most of the 26 pennies picked up were picked up by kids. Men were two-thirds more likely to pick up coins than women. One thing she found in the study that was rather unusual: coins left in college buildings were the -least- likely to be picked up, even with all of the concern about tuition costs and budgets.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Human Interest Tagged With: Arts & Culture

Featured Stories

Governor signs Iowa Renewable Fuels Standard into law

Jury returns guilty verdict in shooting death of State Trooper

Summit has easements for 20% of carbon pipeline route through Iowa

Morel mushroom hunters on hold without warmer conditions

Trinity Health aquiring all MercyOne health properties

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa Special Olympics Summer games set to open in Ames

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 5/16/22

Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw to retire

Northern Iowa prepares for Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament

T.J. Otzelberger announces staff changes at Iowa State

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC