Ikea Effect
What is it?
Ikea Effect is a bias that makes people value things more when they have put effort into making them.
The IKEA effect is a psychological phenomenon where people tend to place a higher value on things they have personally created, assembled, or invested effort in, even if the end result may not be perfect. The name comes from the popular Swedish furniture company IKEA, which sells ready-to-assemble furniture that customers put together themselves.
Here are two simple examples to help you understand the IKEA effect:
Assembling furniture: Imagine you buy a bookshelf from IKEA that requires assembly. After spending hours putting it together, you might feel a strong sense of satisfaction and pride in your work, causing you to value the bookshelf more than if you had bought a pre-assembled one, even if the quality is the same.
Cooking a meal: Let's say you cook dinner from scratch, following a complicated recipe with multiple steps. Even if the meal doesn't turn out perfectly, you might feel a sense of accomplishment and believe the meal is more delicious than if you had ordered takeout or bought a pre-made meal from the store.
Being aware of the IKEA effect can help individuals recognize that their attachment to self-created or self-assembled items might be influenced by the e ...