IKEA effect

The IKEA effect is a cognitive bias in which consumers place a disproportionately high value on products they partially created.

[1] The IKEA effect was identified and named by Michael I. Norton of Harvard Business School, Daniel Mochon of Yale, and Dan Ariely of Duke, who published the results of three studies in 2011.

A 1959 study by Aronson and Mills that has been described as a "classic" produced results that seem to reflect either the IKEA effect or a closely related phenomenon.

Citing other researchers' work demonstrating "a fundamental human need for effectance—an ability to successfully produce desired outcomes in one's environment," Norton et al. argued that "one means by which people accomplish this goal is by affecting and controlling objects and possessions."

They placed special emphasis on Bandura's "seminal" 1977 study showing that "successful completion of tasks" was a "crucial means by which people can meet their goal to feel competent and in control.

[1] The research consisted of three different experiments in which the participants built Lego items, folded origami figures and assembled IKEA boxes.

[2] Gibbs and Drolet (2008) showed that raising consumers' energy levels can persuade them to select experiences that involve greater effort.

Also, the idea that they are "saving money by buying products that require some assembly" may make them feel like "smart shoppers.

"[2] Other possible explanations for the IKEA effect have been suggested, such as "a focus on the product's positive attributes, and the relationship between effort and liking."

[6] The work by Norton et al. demonstrated that participants' valuing of products was not caused by ownership of them or by "greater time spent touching them.

"[7] The IKEA effect may be said to manifest itself in situations when programmers have been invited to help (without payment) in creating open-source programs and operating systems, such as Linux.

[2] The IKEA effect has also been observed in animals, such as rats and starlings, which prefer to obtain food from sources that required effort on their part (Kacelnik & Marsh, 2002; Lawrence & Festinger, 1962).

[2] Tervooren has advised business owners that they "can reap massive rewards by putting the IKEA effect to work for your customers.