The IKEA Effect Makes You Overvalue Things You Build Yourself
A person proudly displaying a slightly crooked IKEA bookshelf with a golden trophy glow around it, while a perfect store-bought shelf sits ignored nearby
A Harvard study found that people place disproportionately high value on products they partially created, even if the result is objectively mediocre. Participants valued their own amateur origami creations nearly as much as expert-made ones.
Why Itβs Interesting
It explains why home cooks love their own food, why managers love their own plans, and why IKEA is so successful. The labor itself creates emotional attachment, which means effort does not just produce value β it produces the illusion of extra value.
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