The term originated in an anecdote that
describes an occurrence in India under British rule
. The British government was so concerned about the number of venomous cobras in Delhi it offered a bounty for every dead cobra. Initially, this was a successful strategy and large numbers of snakes were killed for the reward.
What does cobra effect mean?
Unintended consequences: life, and economics, are full of them. The cobra effect is
a specific kind of unintended consequence that happens when the proposed solution ends up worsening the problem it was intended to solve
. It’s not simply a surprise negative result, it’s the opposite of what was intended.
What is the Cobra effect examples?
The term derives from an attempt to eradicate snakes in India, wherein people bred cobras to collect rewards for their capture. Examples of this effect in the US include
gun buyback programs
and, more recently, a specific attempt to control the spread of COVID-19.
Which best defines the term cobra effect as described in the text?
The cobra effect is
when a solution worsens a problem
. Many well-intentioned programs backfire.
What are cobras value to society?
In general, cobras
provide values for both the ecosystem and for humans
. … Ecologically, cobras are important to food chains, helping to maintain the balance of prey species and controlling agricultural pests such as rats and mice.
What is a meaning of cobra?
:
any of several venomous Asian and African elapid snakes
(genera Naja and Ophiophagus) that when excited expand the skin of the neck into a hood by movement of the anterior ribs also : any of several related African snakes.
What are unintended consequences?
In the social sciences, unintended consequences (sometimes unanticipated consequences or unforeseen consequences) are
outcomes of a purposeful action that are not intended or foreseen
. The term was popularised in the twentieth century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton.
Did the Cobra effect really happen?
The term cobra effect was coined by economist Horst Siebert based on an anecdote of a (possibly ahistorical) occurrence in India during
British
rule. … Eventually, however, enterprising people began to breed cobras for the income. When the government became aware of this, the reward program was scrapped.
Are cobras a problem in India?
An estimated 1.2 million people have died from snake bites in India in the past 20 years, a new study has found. Nearly half of the victims were between 30 and 69 years old, and a quarter of them were children, the study says. Russell’s vipers, kraits and cobras
were responsible for most deaths
.
What is an example of a perverse incentive?
Perverse incentives often
arise when governments interfere with markets and tinker with prices
. Medicine provides many examples due to the fact that governments try to set prices and reimbursement rates on nearly everything physicians do.
What is the thesis of the Cobra effect?
The cobra effect refers to
instances when the solution to the problem actually makes the problem worse
. This is not to say the solutions were shortsighted or based on poor logic. It is merely that people react in unpredictable ways and as such our actions may have unforeseen effects.
What medical procedure or treatment is a good example of the Cobra effect?
The term derives from an attempt to eradicate snakes in India, wherein people bred cobras to collect rewards for their capture. Examples of this effect in the US include
gun buyback programs
and, more recently, a specific attempt to control the spread of COVID-19.
Can King Cobra eat humans?
What makes these cobras kings is not just their size, or their deadliness — after all,
they don’t eat humans or elephants
— it is that they eat other snakes. Even deadly snakes like kraits or other cobras are prey. … The king cobra can subdue its dinner without suffering from any venomous counterattack.
What is the lifespan of cobra?
Cobras are intelligent and tend to learn quickly, which partially accounts for their long lifespan. The King Cobra lifespan is up to 30 years. For cobras that don’t succumb to illness or other life-ending dangers in the wild, the
average lifespan is 20 years
.
Can you survive king cobra bite?
Getting a bite from a
King Cobra is probably not going to be fatal if
you do the right thing after the bite. The right thing is to remain calm and wrap the bite site and the entire limb immediately with whatever you have available. It’s essential that you stop the venom from going very far all at once.
Which is the biggest cobra?
King cobra
, (Ophiophagus hannah), also called hamadryad, the world’s largest venomous snake, found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia. The snake’s maximum confirmed length is 5.6 metres (18 feet), but most do not exceed 3.6 metres (12 feet).
