#305 PEER’s Guide to Gift-Giving
CLINICAL QUESTION
What kind of gifts do people like receiving?
BOTTOM LINE
Improve an undesirable gift with a note indicating you own the gift too, although some gifts cannot be improved (example: stapler). When in doubt, stick with a wish-list or something sentimental (example: framed photo of yourself with recipient). Research suggests late and/or cheap gifts might be acceptable. The gifts used in studies were ones few would recommend (example: pen). However, a lack of data exists when the recipient is your significant other: Tread carefully in this evidence-free zone.
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EVIDENCE
- Fancy versus practical gift:
- 189 participants rated preferences for “luxury” or “practical” pen;1 scale (1=very little to 7=very much).
- Participants receiving practical pen:
- Liked it more (score: 4.9 versus 4.4), felt happier (4.8 versus 3.9); all comparisons statistically different.
- Limitation: No comparison to any other gift.
- Participants receiving practical pen:
- 189 participants rated preferences for “luxury” or “practical” pen;1 scale (1=very little to 7=very much).
- More versus less expensive gift:
- 197 participants: more expensive (iPod) and less expensive (CD) gifts similarly appreciated [score: 6.0 on 7-point scale (higher=greater appreciation)].2
- Limitation: Both gifts now obsolete.
- 197 participants: more expensive (iPod) and less expensive (CD) gifts similarly appreciated [score: 6.0 on 7-point scale (higher=greater appreciation)].2
- Sentimental gifts:
- 330 participants, 86% preferred sentimental gift (photo of gift-giver and recipient) over “preference-matched gift” (framed photo of favourite musician).3
- Limitation: Photos of musicians may be suboptimal comparator.
- 330 participants, 86% preferred sentimental gift (photo of gift-giver and recipient) over “preference-matched gift” (framed photo of favourite musician).3
- Gift timing:
- 181 students rated importance of on-time birthday gift.4
- Scale (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree).
- Timing unimportant: Mean rating=4.7
- Limitations: Unclear how late gift would be (i.e., days versus months).
- Timing unimportant: Mean rating=4.7
- Scale (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree).
- 181 students rated importance of on-time birthday gift.4
- Wish-lists:
- 90 students, recipient’s satisfaction score higher with registry gift: 8.6 versus 6.8 (non-registered gift) on 10-point scale (higher=better), statistically different.5
- Limitations: the gifts utilized were all lamps.
- 90 students, recipient’s satisfaction score higher with registry gift: 8.6 versus 6.8 (non-registered gift) on 10-point scale (higher=better), statistically different.5
- Improving bad gifts:
- 616 participants rated gift with/without notecard indicating: “I hope you like [this gift] -- I got myself [one] too!”.6
- Some gifts (examples: cookbook, mug, socks) had improved “likeability, thoughtfulness and consideration” score (>0.5 points on 7-point scale) with notecard.
- Others (examples: flashlight, stapler) no change.
- Some gifts (examples: cookbook, mug, socks) had improved “likeability, thoughtfulness and consideration” score (>0.5 points on 7-point scale) with notecard.
- 616 participants rated gift with/without notecard indicating: “I hope you like [this gift] -- I got myself [one] too!”.6
- No studies describing opinions of people receiving “regifted” items.
- Original givers prefer their gifts be regifted versus thrown away.7
- The Seinfeld cast give opinions in this segment.
- Example desirable gifts from studies: Restaurant gift cards5, movie tickets5, blanket6, headphones6, and bourbon6.
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Thank you for your research. Probably I’ll just hope for bourbon regifted.
interesting
Very useful research. Will remember that I’ll need to attach more than a notecard to jazz up a stapler. Perhaps a bottle of bourbon?