Introduction:
The IKEA effect describes a cognitive bias in which individuals attribute disproportionately higher value to self-made products. While well-established, the boundary conditions and moderating variables of the effect—particularly gender and self-esteem—remain insufficiently understood.


Purpose:
This study aims to replicate the IKEA effect in a higher education setting and to examine the influence of product interaction (observation vs. self-assembly), gender, and self-esteem on willingness to pay (WTP).
Method:
A within-subject quasi-experimental design was conducted with 58 undergraduate participants. Each subject evaluated a standardized product—an origami heart—under two conditions: viewing a completed item and assembling one themselves. WTP was measured using an incentive-compatible Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) procedure. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was used to assess self-esteem. Data were analyzed using paired and independent samples t-tests, two-way ANOVA, linear regression, and non-parametric tests to ensure robustness.


Results:
No significant difference in WTP emerged between the observed and self-made conditions, indicating that the IKEA effect could not be statistically replicated. However, gender had a significant main effect: women demonstrated higher WTP across both conditions (p < .001; Cohen's d = .84). Self-esteem did not significantly affect WTP, nor did it moderate the gender or condition effects.


Conclusions:
These findings challenge the generalizability of the IKEA effect in symbolic product contexts and highlight gender as a consistent determinant in consumer valuation. The study underscores the methodological importance of incentive-compatible procedures and suggests that further research should systematically address the role of gender in behavioral economics paradigms.