What is it?
This is the study of why people collect, keep and attach to objects. Research offers a few lenses. The endowment effect: we value things more once we own them (in a 1990 experiment by Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler, people given a mug asked for roughly twice as much to sell it as others were willing to pay). The extended self (Russell Belk, 1988): possessions become part of how we see ourselves. Hedonic adaptation: the thrill of something new fades quickly. Csikszentmihalyi's study The Meaning of Things found people cherish objects mainly for memories and relationships, not for use.
Why Design Treats It This Way
Objects carry identity, memory and status, not just function. Designers therefore shape what gets kept and what gets thrown away. Products that age well, can be repaired or can be personalised build attachment, while disposable ones feed the waste cycle. It connects directly to the IKEA Effect (see 08): what we help make or shape, we keep.
Why You Need to Study It
It explains purchasing, branding, packaging and sustainability: why people keep drawers of dead chargers, why some objects become heirlooms, and why 'new' stops feeling exciting so quickly. It also gives you a strong angle for essays and interviews about consumption.
Real-World Example
Steel and brass utensils in many Indian homes are passed down and gifted at weddings; their value is in the family story, not the metal. In 2017, HMD relaunched the Nokia 3310, selling mostly on nostalgia rather than specifications.
Exam Tip: How to apply this in entrance papers
When you propose a product, say what will make someone keep it: durability, repairability, personalisation or memory.
