The Psychology of Choosing the Perfect Gift

by Ava Thomas Content Creator

Shopping for gifts on special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries can be a stressful time. Even though the joy of seeing the eyes of your loved ones brim with happiness when they receive their gifts outweighs the stress of picking one, you still must go through the rigorous procedure of choosing the perfect gift.

Picking the right gift for your recipient can increase the bond and feeling of appreciation amongst both of you. This helps to create strong relationships that last forever. We are so lost in materialism and status consciousness that we forget the essential meaning of gift-giving to cultivate relationships. 

Understanding the recipient's psychology can help you choose the perfect gift for them. However, there are various other factors that you should consider. You can find a lot of scientific research and evidence that explains how you can choose a gift to maximize the happiness of your recipient. Some of these key psychological findings are listed below.

Practicality Is Key

Spending more money on a gift wouldn't necessarily bring ultimate happiness to your recipient, as research suggests that gift receivers value practicality over other things. A recent study carried out examined the results of the impact of a practical gift versus an attractive gift. The focus of the study was to find out how close the recipient felt to the gift giver while receiving alternative presents.

The kinds of gifts included in the experiments were high-quality pens, which were impractical but attractive. On the other hand, there were simple pens that were practical but not particularly visually appealing. The gifts also included an e-voucher to two restaurants, one which was fancy but far-away and the other was an ordinary one but close by.

The experiment results found that the people felt closer to gift-givers who gave them practical but ordinary-looking pens. The e-voucher for the restaurant close by was much more popular than one which was far away. These studies prove that giving an expensive gift is not attributed to closeness, as it practically outweighs the luxury factor. 

Long-Term Satisfaction Should Be Considered

Choosing gifts that give long-term satisfaction should be a priority compared to other gifts that do give short-term excitement but are forgotten after their initial use. A classic example is giving a toy gift to your child. They will be very excited to see it in the first place, but after initial use, they will just abandon it, and you'll see it lying around.

Research has shown that gift-givers pay a lot more attention to a gift receiver's perceived response compared to long-term satisfaction. Think about it, in almost all our gift decisions we tend to think whether the person would like it or not, or what will be their initial reaction. Instead, we should be thinking about whether this gift will bring them happiness every time they look at it or use it, or will they cherish the present forever or not. 

Personalized gifts such as romantic canvas art or engraved jewelry will be more special to your partner than a usual dress. Such gifts elicit positive responses and create everlasting memories.

Consider Gift Requests

While surprising your loved ones with random gifts may be a good idea, research has shown that people prefer to receive the gifts they might have requested. We tend to overlook gifts lists and believe that any gift we give will make them equally happy. However, we should pay particular attention to their gift requests as they might be expecting it, and not coming up to their requests can create friction in your relationship.

Often givers don't like to be told what gifts to buy, as they feel they are close enough to the recipient to make their own choice. This perception can often lead to confusion and minor conflicts in relationships; therefore, it is best to go with the gift registry.

Experiences Are a Good Choice

Well, you'd be surprised to know that people are happier when they receive experiences as gifts rather than material ones. When you're choosing a gift for someone you are not close to, you are more likely to pick a material gift rather than an experience. Material gifts represent a safe and sound choice, as you'd want to avoid any mishaps with the new acquaintance.

However, when choosing a gift for your loved ones, an extraordinary experience can give them a lot of happiness and will create memories they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

Don't Insist

You'd also be surprised to know that sometimes not giving a gift can be positive. If your gift recipient believes that your intentions are self-centered or aimed at creating gratitude, they won't want your gift. We should ensure that our aim is pure and we're not expecting something in return to avoid such situations.

Try to give gifts that nurture relationships instead of breaking them. If your intention is pure, and the receiver still won't accept your gift or has shown reluctance to want one, it is best to avoid it. These issues are less common in families with a history of gift-giving and more between friends or work colleagues.

In a nutshell, it is important to think about the receiver instead of focusing on our joy in giving gifts. Personalized gifts are the way to go, as they create everlasting memories and show that you have put a lot of effort into thinking about the occasion and gift.

You can give personalized canvas prints that your loved ones can use as an interior décor in their homes. They are perfectly suited for every occasion. Companies such as Amour Prints are specializing in such prints. Their collection includes custom music art canvas, personalized wedding canvas prints, and much more. You can also create a custom print suited for any occasion