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posted by cmn32480 on Sunday May 21 2017, @08:58AM   Printer-friendly
from the effort-has-value dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The IKEA effect is a cognitive bias that can influence the outcome and perceived value of products to a big degree. People tend to place high value on products they partially have created. Hence, the name IKEA effect. It is derived from the Swedish furniture retailer famous for products that require to be assembled by the customers.

Products designed by IKEA and LEGO are great examples of this psychological effect. Designers must have the IKEA effect in mind when designing solutions and use it when appropriate.

The more the needs for customization and co-production are present in your target audience the more the IKEA effect is relevant for you as a designer. The effect can help you instill feelings of competence in the user when the task is completed successfully.

The IKEA effect will create stronger bond between the user and the product. The effort that users will put into completing the product to a complete state will transform into love for that product. The subjective value will be higher in comparison to a product that hasn't cost any effort.

It is important to point out that the IKEA effect is not about putting the effort be it small or big, it is more about the completion of the task. The IKEA effect is present when the user can enjoy the completed task and the product. If the product is disassembled soon after the assembling the effect is lost.

[...] People are willing to pay more for products they create than equivalent pre-assembled products. The general rule is the higher the contribution the higher the valuation is. Yet, if the effort required is too big or the contribution too small, people won't probably complete the task. The IKEA effect is possible only when the user actually completes the task.

-- submitted from IRC


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  • (Score: 2) by Unixnut on Sunday May 21 2017, @11:37AM (4 children)

    by Unixnut (5779) on Sunday May 21 2017, @11:37AM (#512978)

    I think it depends on the skill of the person. I do a lot of fabrication, which involves actually designing something , picking the material, and forming the material into what you want. I find that very satisfying, especially when it all fits together just as designed. I get a little bit of ecstasy when I do that.

    As a result I don't find Ikea assembling particularly fulfilling anymore, more like therapeutic, something I do to unwind and relax and "take it easy", because I am just not the kind of person to sit and vegetate in front of a TV. I am too fidgety. Plus the nice thing about Ikea is you can modify it pretty easily if you need something specific, which I do quite a bit.

    However "normal people" (those who never fabricated or built something custom) can get really excited when they assemble Ikea furniture. They will proudly show off what they "built" when I go round to see them. So I think for the average person Ikea does in fact have a positive bias.

    I agree with the article. You feel it is worth more because you invested your time into it directly. Money is a very abstract concept, especially as for most people it is just digits on a web page, as is you working (putting time in) then getting paid later on. Then those digits reduce, and you end up with a finished good delivered to your doorstep. You don't feel part of the process, more like a high level manager, just making decisions.

    This is physical, you buy pieces, and you put time and effort directly into it, and out pops a useful physical thing you can see, touch and show off about. That has a feeling of fulfillment and success about it.

    Just my 0.02 cents on the matter.

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  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday May 21 2017, @11:58AM (3 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday May 21 2017, @11:58AM (#512982) Journal

    I am just not the kind of person to sit and vegetate in front of a TV

    ummmm... have you tried sitting at the back of it?
    It even gets natural to vegetate if you pick an old CRT TV and, while at the back, you touch the high voltage wires.

    (grin)

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 2) by Unixnut on Sunday May 21 2017, @12:21PM (2 children)

      by Unixnut (5779) on Sunday May 21 2017, @12:21PM (#512985)

      I could give it a try, alas I have not had a TV since 2001 :-P

      I do miss the old CRT TV's though. You could really have some fun with the components from the back of them. Especially the flyback transformers. Back when there was the mass switch to flat screen TV's, you found so many CRTs at the side of the road. Wish I had the means to scavenge them for parts at the time.

      • (Score: 1) by toddestan on Wednesday May 24 2017, @02:19AM (1 child)

        by toddestan (4982) on Wednesday May 24 2017, @02:19AM (#514627)

        I still see discarded CRT TVs fairly regularly. I figure the supply must be getting pretty close to drying up though.

        Unfortunately almost all the TVs I see out on the curb are 90's and 2000's models. The older ones are more fun to tinker with.

        • (Score: 2) by Unixnut on Wednesday May 24 2017, @10:18AM

          by Unixnut (5779) on Wednesday May 24 2017, @10:18AM (#514742)

          Nice! I haven't seen a CRT in at least 5 years round here, I think they are all gone, because space is such a premium in the tiny flats in the area. At this point people have started throwing out old flat screen TVs (32 inch usually). I suspect something small like a PSU capacitor went and they would be a quick fix, but no real interesting parts in them, and I don't really have the time, inclination or interest to fix them. Also they are not worth much fixing and reselling.