When and how does labour lead to love? The ontogeny and mechanisms of the IKEA effect

Lauren E Marsh,Patricia Kanngiesser,Bruce Hood

doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2017.10.012

Lauren E Marsh, Patricia Kanngiesser + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2017.10.012

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Journal: Cognition	Publication Date: Nov 5, 2017
Citations: 37	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: University of Nottingham, University of Bristol

Abstract

We elevate our constructions to a special status in our minds. This ‘IKEA’ effect leads us to believe that our creations are more valuable than items that are identical, but constructed by another. This series of studies utilises a developmental perspective to explore why this bias exists. Study 1 elucidates the ontogeny of the IKEA effect, demonstrating an emerging bias at age 5, corresponding with key developmental milestones in self-concept formation. Study 2 assesses the role of effort, revealing that the IKEA effect is not moderated by the amount of effort invested in the task in 5-to-6-year olds. Finally, Study 3 examines whether feelings of ownership moderate the IKEA effect, finding that ownership alone cannot explain why children value their creations more. Altogether, results from this study series are incompatible with existing theories of the IKEA bias. Instead, we propose a new framework to examine biases in decision making. Perhaps the IKEA effect reflects a link between our creations and our self-concept, emerging at age 5, leading us to value them more positively than others’ creations.

Highlights

We elevate our constructions to a special status in our minds
We examined whether children showed evidence of an IKEA effect, attributing increased value to their creation compared to the identical item
Children in the older age group valued the object they built more highly than an identical object that they did not build. As this difference in value was not found in the hold condition, we demonstrated that the IKEA effect cannot be attributable to physical manipulation or general positive interaction with an object

Summary

Introduction

We elevate our constructions to a special status in our minds. This ‘IKEA’ effect leads us to believe that our creations are more valuable than items that are identical, but constructed by another. We elected to study children aged between 3 and 6 years as previous studies show clear evidence of effort justification at age 6, but not age 4 (Benozio & Diesendruck, 2015) and ownership effects on item valuation in children aged 5 and up (Harbaugh, Krause, & Vesterlund, 2001), but not at younger ages (Hood, Weltzien, Marsh, & Kanngiesser, 2016). Both effort and ownership accounts predict IKEA effects in children aged 5-to-6, but not 3-to-4-years. In Study 2 we examine the effort justification account, and in Study 3, we examine the mere ownership account of the IKEA effect

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