Michael I. Norton, Daniel Mochon, Dan Ariely
The Ikea Effect: When Labor Leads to Love
Michael I. Norton, Daniel Mochon, Dan Ariely 2011. (View Paper → )
We demonstrate and investigate the boundary conditions for what we term the “IKEA effect” – the increase in valuation of self-made products. Participants saw their amateurish creations – of both utilitarian and hedonic products – as similar in value to the creations of experts, and expected others to share their opinions.
Instant cake mixes became too easy, so they tweaked the process you had to ‘add an egg’ and satisfaction went up. It was probably the Ikea effect. Product Managers should take into account the psychology underlying consumer involvement. Can you get the user to participate in such a way that their satisfaction grows?