What is the endowment effect?

How Wharton experts define the endowment effect:

MICHAEL PLATT DEFINES THE ENDOWMENT EFFECT AS THE PHENOMENON WHEN people are often reluctant to trade what they have for what they do not have, even when doing so is objectively irrational. (source)

Latest Articles and podcasts about similar topics

The image features a graphic with a red speech bubble containing a bar chart and a magnifying glass. In the background, there is a faint blue dollar sign. The text reads "Wharton University of Pennsylvania" at the top and "Marketing Matters"
Marketing

Google’s Vice President of AI and Marketing Strategy, Joshua Spanier

April 9, 2026
Blurred image of a grocery store aisle with shelves of products. The foreground features a graphic that says "This Week in Business" with a cityscape and radio wave icon.
Marketing

Scaling a Local Favorite: The Strategy Behind Wawa’s Growth

April 8, 2026
The image features a graphic with a red speech bubble containing a bar chart and a magnifying glass. In the background, there is a faint blue dollar sign. The text reads "Wharton University of Pennsylvania" at the top and "Marketing Matters"
Marketing

JP Morgan Asset & Wealth Management’s CMO, Rosa Rita

March 26, 2026