rchase. But once they do so what matters most is not how much something costs but instead it’s just about giving them an item regardless if it’s more valuable than another. “So the price of a gift is not something that determines how much they like it.”
This is an indication that the gift, not its price tag or value, can determine how well people like you.
This study suggests we should stop focusing so much on what to buy and instead focus on who it’s for because different gifts will produce a variety of emotional responses from recipients even if they cost about the same amount.
Givers give gifts to the people they love. They want to see the person smile when they get it. But what recipients care about is if they are happy with their gift over a long time period.
However, this doesn’t mean you should just grab anything on sale and call it a day. It’s important to consider the person you are buying for when making your purchase.
In other words, a movie-streaming service subscription might not be exciting to open on Christmas morning for the gift giver, however, for the movie loving recipient who isn’t a fan of going to the cinema, 12 months of Netflix or Prime video will be a gift they enjoy every day. if you’re lucky, they might even invite you round to watch with them
Another example is a subscription to their favourite magazine or an annual massage package – both gifts always appreciated by recipients who enjoy spending time catching up with magazines and/or getting regular massages themselves. A personal trainer’s gift certificate can also be a gift they’ll use to enjoy the company of someone else when putting in their workouts.
Ultimately, remember the joy of seeing someone opening the gift will never last as long as the enjoyment they will get from that gift so focus less on the big ‘wow’ and more on what the gift will mean to them in the long term.
Your gift doesn’t have to be unique
We all strive to give our recipients a gift they would never have thought of, however, a gift does not have to be unique in order to show love for someone and the best gifts can often come from a little creativity with what you already know they’ll enjoy.
Galak also suggests not to obsess over finding the most unique gift. Sometimes it’s better to give a coveted item, rather than one that might be more off-the-wall but not as wanted.
“The person opening the gift might be more excited about getting something they actually want and it will give them a feeling of belonging,” said Galak. “Buy what you know.”
We usually focus on a person’s unique traits when we are shopping for them. But this can make it difficult to buy the right gift. If we are specific, then it may be too easy to not notice other things that they might want or need. It can also be hard to find gifts for people who are different from each other if we are specific.
“Galak noted that people may give bad gifts because they simply don’t have a clue what the recipients might like, so they buy wares from multiple stores in an attempt to get at least one hit. But those really good ideas can be overlooked — and very under-appreciated– if you are too busy looking for things from different stores.”
Buy based on shared interests
Psychology professor Dunn argues that a thoughtful gift can be given by determining what you have in common with the recipient and picking an item from there.
When you’re shopping for yourself, it’s all about what makes YOU happy. If you have a shared interest with someone and want to get them something they’ll like too – then pick the gift that would make YOU happy.
Think about something you share in common with the person you are buying for. Then, buy them something they can experience. For example, a cooking class or tickets to a concert.
Research has shown that experiential gifts can bring people closer even when they don’t do the gift together.
“If you know that someone has a love for gardening, but the only gift you have is an inspirational book about life as a gardener, maybe rethink your strategy and get them something they can use in their garden. 