A very interesting result comes from research conducted by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology on the relationship between gift pricing and appreciate. When researchers asked people to recall a gift they gave and then to rate how much they thought recipients liked it, higher prices went with higher ratings. But when people made the same ratings for a gift they had received, price was completely unrelated to enjoyment.
It seems that function counts. Gifts that are actually usable are far more appreciated than those that aren’t. Gift givers tend to focus on how pleasurable it would be to use the gift but overlook how easily or often the gift will be used. Givers might favor the beautiful and dramatic because they think about gifts in the abstract. Recipients, in contrast, imagine themselves using it, and so focus more on utility.
Delayed gratification is also okay. Recipients
don’t mind waiting, especially for a gift that would be more satisfying in the
long term.
Don’t be afraid to give people what they ask for. Gift givers think that unexpectedness adds value because it shows thoughtfulness; however, recipients actually think it’s more thoughtful to give a gift that they requested. They see it as showing that the giver attended to and honored their wishes.
Give experiences, not things. Because people are willing to wait, givers should consider research over the last decade showing that experiences lead to more long-lasting satisfaction than new possessions. A family vacation is a better bet than that diamond necklace. But givers are leery of experiences because they worry it’s more likely they’ll pick something the recipient doesn’t want. The answer is simple, give them a choice.
When giving gifts it’s always best to set aside your own
desires and try your best to anticipate what the recipient wants. Using a vast
choice of gift cards is an easy way to avoid all of the above. They truly give the recipient what they want
when they want it.
