The IKEA effect: how we value the fruits of our labour over instant gratification

I don't know how valuable the described research was, given that presumably the people involved were not actually buying the things the experiment had provided with their own money. Of course, that's just me imagining from the language they used what might have happened, the experimental methodology wasn't linked to, or at least, I couldn't find it.

I suppose if you were to describe it as 'it's ok to make a process more difficult, if it involves attributes the customer likes' it wouldn't be especially controversial. As the article indicated, customers prefer fresh to powdered eggs when baking, even if it's harder, and I personally like that I can take home an Ikea piece without a truck, even if it's then harder to assemble.