{"id":1403,"slug":"sarstedt-neubert-barth-2017-ikea-conceptual-replication","title":"Sarstedt, Neubert & Barth (2017), Journal of Marketing Behavior — independent conceptual replication of IKEA effect (loom bands); psychological ownership identified as the mediating mechanism","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["behavioral-economics","interactive-tool-mechanisms"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** **Sarstedt, Neubert & Barth (2017)**, \"The IKEA Effect: A Conceptual Replication,\" *Journal of Marketing Behavior*, 2(4), 307-312, **replicated the effect with loom bands** and identified **psychological ownership as the mediating mechanism**: \"Our results support the robustness of the original effect and indicate that psychological ownership acts as a psychological mechanism that underlies the IKEA effect.\" Corroborated by Marsh, Kanngiesser & Hood (2018), *Cognition*.\n\n**Source:** Sarstedt et al. (2017), Journal of Marketing Behavior 2(4):307-312.\n\n**Confidence:** Verified — **independent, peer-reviewed; conceptual not direct replication**, smaller journal, effect sizes paywalled. No commercial stake.\n\n**Why this matters for Candid:** Independent replication closes the loop on the IKEA effect being robust, not novelty-driven. The **psychological-ownership mechanism** is what makes a configurator-style tool stick — users own their configuration once they've built it, then defend it (and the relationship with the vendor that helped them build it).","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"norton-mochon-ariely-2012-ikea-effect-completion","title":"Norton, Mochon & Ariely (2012), Journal of Consumer Psychology — IKEA effect: effort/co-creation raises valuation of the result (\"labor leads to love\") BUT ONLY WHEN TASK IS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-interactive-tool-mechanisms-smb-june-2026","title":"Research brief: why interactive tools deepen a business's relationship with its audience — a mechanism-level research package (June 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"rule-pair-ikea-effect-with-completion","title":"R5 — Pair the IKEA effect with completion: only completed configurations produce psychological ownership; abandoned configurators produce frustration, not love","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-20T18:18:57.578Z","updated_at":"2026-06-20T18:18:57.578Z"}