Sarstedt, Neubert & Barth (2017), Journal of Marketing Behavior — independent conceptual replication of IKEA effect (loom bands); psychological ownership identified as the mediating mechanism

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.

Source: Sarstedt et al. (2017), Journal of Marketing Behavior 2(4):307-312.

Confidence: Verified — independent, peer-reviewed; conceptual not direct replication, smaller journal, effect sizes paywalled. No commercial stake.

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).