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This article aims to analyze satisfaction with democracy among political representatives as key actors of democracy. We examine the impact of two possible sources of satisfaction—personal benefits and policy performance—using a database from the Latin American Legislative Elites Project with 1207 personal interviews to legislators from 17 countries. The results show that, in addition to the winner effect, personal benefits and policy performance are also significant factors explaining levels of satisfaction with democracy, but the impact is different for winners and losers. For winners, these aspects are irrelevant, and their levels of satisfaction remain high and stable, even under poor political performance. In contrast, losers have lower levels of satisfaction, but satisfaction with democracy increases with seniority, positive salary assessments, and perceptions of good political performance, suggesting that for defeated legislators, these factors help to heal their wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We elevate our constructions to a special status in our minds. This 'IKEA' effect leads us to believe that our creations are more valuable than items that are identical, but constructed by another. This series of studies utilises a developmental perspective to explore why this bias exists. Study 1 elucidates the ontogeny of the IKEA effect, demonstrating an emerging bias at age 5, corresponding with key developmental milestones in self-concept formation. Study 2 assesses the role of effort, revealing that the IKEA effect is not moderated by the amount of effort invested in the task in 5-to-6-year olds. Finally, Study 3 examines whether feelings of ownership moderate the IKEA effect, finding that ownership alone cannot explain why children value their creations more. Altogether, results from this study series are incompatible with existing theories of the IKEA bias. Instead, we propose a new framework to examine biases in decision making. Perhaps the IKEA effect reflects a link between our creations and our self-concept, emerging at age 5, leading us to value them more positively than others' creations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]