Buying Christmas presents for people can be difficult and we often end up making mistakes. Would you believe that this was the focus of a recent article in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science [1]. You might ask why are we bringing this up now as the holiday season is ending, but there is no harm in preparing yourself for next year. According to the authors we exchange gifts with the people we care about, in part, in an effort to make them happy and strengthen our relationships with them. It is certainly one reason why we share our Insider's Insights with our friends and colleagues. The authors of the new work note that by considering how valuable a gift might be over the course of the recipient's ownership, rather than their response when they open the present, we can meet these goals and provide useful, well-received gifts.
Gift givers shouldn't focus on the moment of exchange when selecting a gift but be more focused on the long-term utility or practical attributes of the gift. Researchers studied many existing frameworks from research in this area, trying to find a common ground between them. They found that the giver wants to 'wow' the recipient with a gift that can be enjoyed immediately, in the moment. Know it or not, recipients are more interested in a gift that provides value over time. The researchers observed a mismatch between the thought processes and motivations of gift givers and recipients. Put another way, there may be times when the vacuum cleaner, unlikely to wow most recipients, really should be at the top of the present list. To be honest, it is January the 9th and my wife still seems to be contradicting the authors' conclusions. Other considerations when choosing presents include:
Understanding Preferences
Balancing Practicality and Surprise
Budget Constraints
Holiday Stress
Gift Appropriateness
Fear of Disappointment
The researchers make recommendations for those hoping to choose better gifts, advising them to better empathise with gift recipients when thinking about gifts that would be both appreciated and useful. Things to avoid include:
In conclusion, although giving Christmas presents is often joyful, the process can be complicated by the need to understand preferences, balance surprise with practicality, stick to a budget, manage time, and meet expectations without disappointing the recipient. In our current "12 Days of Niche-mas" campaign we are sharing our well-written and carefully constructed Insider's Insights from the last 12 months. We hope that they will serve you well and make you smile -sign up here.
References
Yes, it’s Star Wars Day again! The Star Wars films base their wow-factor on their adoption of science
Scientific knowledge should be accessible to all and if you are those communicating science
The proceedings of the Association for Human Pharmacology in the Pharmaceutical Industry (AHPPI)
Finding the best vehicle in which to publish your research findings is a perennial challenge.
Every year, a huge amount of scientific data is released. It's out there, but how do you find it?
Concerns about readiness of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Clinical Trials Information System persist as the.
Frights create a happy Halloween by providing the thrill of fear in a controlled and safe environment, turning what.
Congratulations class of 2024. That was all I needed to hear when I stood in your shoes almost 40 years ago. 40 years
Over the years friends, colleagues and industry leaders have shared their many of their insights with me freely
Have you seen our latest Insider's Insight on Case Reports? Once a staple of medical journals,
We all need heroes - people who can champion our cause - helping the world to understand our rationale
I am continually reminded that I must work toward better relationships with my sons than the one I had with my dad.
Welcome to the seventh issue of the Refractory Asthma Stratification Programme (RASP-UK) newsletter
Paraskevidekatriaphobia is a phobia of Friday the 13th. Yes, they actually gave it a name.
We recently encouraged writers (of all kinds) in our recent Insider’s Insight to experiment with large language.
When I was younger, the opening lines of the Beatle’s seminal ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ resonated.
In the past, Halloween has meant the end of the crop and the start of the dark, cold winter.
ive years ago I was lucky enough to be involved in a project that resulted in publications
Since 2013 we have been sharing our understanding on key issues with friends and clients via our Insider’s Insights.
Our team are exploring different and novel ways for young people to enter the pharmaceutical industry.
Get our latest news and publications
Sign up to our news letterResources
Social
Contact us
Address
Niche Science & Technology
Unit 26 Falstaff House
Bardolph Road
Richmond TW9 2LH
United Kingdom
