SAT OwlQuestion bank / Central Ideas and Details
In a series of experiments, participants who assembled simple storage boxes themselves were willing to pay significantly more for them than for identical boxes that came already assembled. The effect disappeared, however, when participants built a box and then had to take it apart, or when they were unable to finish building it. The researchers, who called this pattern the "IKEA effect," concluded that people value objects more highly when their own effort produces a completed result.
According to the text, in which situation did participants show the "IKEA effect"?
When they had assembled a box themselves and it remained complete
When they received a box that came already assembled
When they began assembling a box but were unable to finish it
When they assembled a box and then had to take it apart
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
Participants valued boxes more when they built them, but the effect "disappeared" if they took the box apart or could not finish it. So the effect appeared only when their effort produced a finished box, choice A.
Choice C is tempting because those participants did put in effort, but the text says the effect disappeared when they could not finish building the box.
Why the other choices are wrong
- B. The text states participants paid more for boxes they assembled themselves than for identical pre-assembled ones, so receiving a ready-made box did not trigger the effect.
- C. The passage explicitly notes that the effect disappeared when participants were unable to finish building the box, meaning incomplete effort did not increase their valuation.
- D. The text explains that the effect vanished when participants had to take the box apart after building it, so disassembling the item prevented the increased valuation.
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