Abstract Much of the time when a gift giver is selecting a gift, the recipient is someone whom the giver has given a gift to previously. The present work explores how givers’ decision-making and recipients’ desires are influenced by prior gifts given from giver to recipient; in particular, this research examines whether givers and recipients agree when it comes to the decision of whether to repeat a gift that the giver previously gave to the recipient (a “repeat” gift), or opt for a different gift that the giver is yet to give to the recipient (a “novel” gift). Nine studies demonstrate that givers do not give repeat gifts nearly as often as recipients prefer because givers perceive the act of giving a repeat gift to be less thoughtful and more boring than do recipients. Critically, givers avoid repeat gifts even when they are thought to be better matches with recipients’ preferences.
Abstract Gift-recipients typically receive multiple gifts in the same sitting, yet little is known about the impact of other gifts on givers’ and recipients’ evaluations of any one gift. Across 12 studies, we demonstrate that givers overestimate how much a recipient’s liking of their (i.e., the giver’s) gift [increases/decreases] when it compares [favorably/unfavorably] to other gifts. This appears to be driven by givers not appreciating that, for recipients, it is the thought that counts. Howev...
AbstractPerhaps the most common form of prosocial behavior that consumers engage in is gift giving. In doing so, consumers presumably act in the best interests of recipients, by giving gifts that they believe recipients will cherish. That said, the results of five lab and field studies demonstrate that consumers sometimes do the opposite: they give gifts they do not believe to be best. Specifically, the present work shows that gift givers desire to feel unique and thus refrain from giving gifts ...
#1Biao Luo(USTC: University of Science and Technology of China)H-Index: 1
#2Wenpei Fang(USTC: University of Science and Technology of China)H-Index: 1
Last. Xue Fei Cong(USTC: University of Science and Technology of China)H-Index: 1
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Abstract This research explores the effect of gift–image congruence on the recipient's gift appreciation, and the moderating effects of intimacy and the recipient's relationship dependence in romantic relationships. The results show that gift-recipient image congruence has a positive effect on the recipient's gift appreciation, while the effect of gift-giver image congruence on gift appreciation is insignificant or even negative in Chinese and non-Chinese samples. For both Chinese and non-Chines...
Abstract Gift giving is a complex emotional process that is important in maintaining relationships. However, little is understood about the effects of individual differences in consumers' ability to understand the emotions of the receiver and even themselves in the gift-giving process. A series of three studies reveal that emotional understanding (EU) influences how much money consumers spend on gifts. Study 1 shows that consumers with higher EU are likely to spend more money on buying gifts for...
Abstract Past research in gift giving has largely treated asymmetries between the types of gifts givers give and the ones recipients prefer to receive as unintentional errors on the part of givers. In contrast, we show that givers sometimes intentionally bypass gifts that they know will bring the most joy and happiness to their recipients. Specifically, we demonstrate that givers dislike giving gifts that compare favorably to their own possessions, because they feel that doing so would lead them...
Abstract Past research on gift-giving behaviors has presumed equal and horizontal relationships between givers and receivers; however, in the real world, giver-receiver relationships often vary in their level of power, such as parent-child and boss-employee relationships. However, little is known regarding how the difference in power in the giver-receiver relationship influences people's gift choices. Building on construal level theory, the present research proposes and confirms that differences...
#2M. Ali Ülkü(Dal: Dalhousie University)H-Index: 9
The wide variety of retailer return policies can cause consumers confusion. While keeping costs contained, very restrictive Return Policies (RPs) may mar consumer behavior. As a first attempt to examine the impact expectation of return control and involvement have on consumers, this study builds a conceptual model with support of the theory of psychological reactance and lends insights into how and why RPs, specifically the denial of product returns, affect consumers during and after the product...
Last. Sean T. Hingston(UWO: University of Western Ontario)H-Index: 4
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Recent research has found that the menstrual cycle affects product preferences. However, might the menstrual cycle also impact whom women prefer to spend their money on? Drawing from evolutionary theory, we predict and find that women are more prosocial during the luteal phase than during the follicular phase. Across three studies, we show that women allocate more money towards gifts for loved ones during the luteal phase, and that this prosociality extends to anonymous others through charitable...
Four studies document an asymmetry in givers’ and receivers’ evaluations of gifts: Givers underestimate the extent to which receivers perceive partial (but more desirable) gifts to be thoughtful, valuable, and worthy of appreciation. Study 1 documents this asymmetry and suggests that givers underestimate the extent to which partial gifts signal thoughtfulness to receivers. Study 2 replicates this asymmetry in the context of a real gift exchange among friends. Study 3 shows that this asymmetry ar...
Last. Sharon Shavitt(UIUC: University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign)H-Index: 35
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Abstract Gift purchasing is an important factor driving the retail industry around the world, and yet, many gift selections do not match recipient preferences. Three studies examine how consumers from different cultures select gifts for multiple recipients and when gifts deviate from recipients’ preferences. Both U.S. and Chinese consumers who are shopping for multiple recipients tend to pass up recipients’ preferred gifts in favor of getting distinct gifts for each recipient, and Chinese givers...
#1Yookyung Park(College of Business Administration)H-Index: 2
#2Youjae Yi(College of Business Administration)H-Index: 40
Abstract The main purpose of this research is to investigate whether, why, and when givers and recipients perceive the value of a discounted gift differently. The studies provide convergent evidence that givers perceive discounted gifts as less valuable than regular-priced gifts whereas recipients do not perceive them as different. Givers' devaluation of the discounted gift is driven by their concern about the thoughtfulness of a gift. Moreover, the giver-recipient asymmetry is mitigated when th...