the egg theory
When instant baking mixes were introduced in the 1940s, some did well (piecrusts, biscuits) and others did not (cake mixes). Marketers wondered why this was the case.
One theory was that the cake mixes simplified the process so much that women did not feel as though they had actually made anything. A piecrust or a biscuit were just a component of a larger meal, but a cake was its own course. A psychologist and marketer at the time, Ernest Dichter, speculated that leaving out some ingredients would combat this. Hence, the “egg theory.” Pillsbury changed the recipe to remove the dried eggs and instead require the addition of fresh eggs, milk, and oil. With that, sales took off.
This is a part of a larger idea that researchers call The IKEA Effect - we assign a higher value to, and typically overvalue, what we have a hand in making. We’re more likely to appreciate a piece of IKEA furniture, albeit cheap and janky, that we had a part in assembling, than another piece of nicer furniture.
