← all facts
decision making
You value things more once you possess them.
The mere ownership effect is the finding that items are rated as more attractive simply because they are labeled as belonging to you.
In studies, participants rated objects as having higher monetary and aesthetic value the moment they were assigned ownership. This occurs even when the ownership is arbitrary or temporary. The brain integrates possessions into the self-concept, causing an automatic boost in value.
You are emotionally attached to objects that you did not want yesterday.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Beggan, 1992, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- What the check found
- The definition and citation are accurate according to psychological literature, though the provided reference material did not contain the specific study details.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.