Another Friday, another fun fact you didn’t know you needed.🙃
This is Sugar Cereal AKA your favorite behavioral science rabbit hole in newsletter form.
Let’s pour it up! 🥣
do it yourself 📦
There’s something cute about that DIY shelf you put together with one eye on the instructions and the other on a YouTube tutorial. Sure, it’s a tad crooked...but it’s yours.
And according to science? That personal touch is exactly why you’re so attached.
Enter: the IKEA Effect. It’s a surprisingly strong bias where people place a higher value on things they’ve put effort into creating. Yep, even when the end result is...pretty average.
In a 2011 study, researchers had participants build simple cardboard boxes, LEGO sets, and IKEA furniture. Then they asked how much each person thought their creation was worth. The builders consistently overvalued their own handiwork compared to others’ assessments.
Why? Because effort equals ownership. And ownership infuses a sense of meaning. 💪
The IKEA effect shows up everywhere:
In the kitchen: Meals you help prepare taste better.
At work: People support strategies they had a hand in shaping.
In relationships: You feel more invested when you’ve helped solve a problem.
Our brains are wired to connect effort with value. When we work hard on something, we don’t just see the finished product.
We see the hours, the choices, the frustration, the pride…all that invisible labor wraps around the thing like bubble wrap. So of course, it feels more precious.
Ready to put the IKEA effect to work? Get cookin’ with these tips:
🗣️ Pitching a new idea?
Invite others into the build process. Even a small contribution can make them care more (and criticize less).
👶 Parenting or managing?
Let your kid or team member help shape the plan. More effort, more ownership, fewer power struggles.
💻 Writing for your audience?
Use interactive content (quizzes, fill-ins, co-creation prompts). People value what they helped shape.
Whether you’re leading a project or assembling an IKEA cabinet for the fam: let people screw in a few bolts.
What we build, we value. And that connection sticks with us long after the last screw is tightened. 🔩
Like what you see? Don’t miss the next issue! 👇
Learn something new today? Sharing is caring! Forward Sugar Cereal to a sweet friend (or two). 💌
🚀 PS - Want to create a fun, engaging newsletter for your brand or business? Let’s connect!