Don’t overthink presents
Finding it hard to think of the perfect gift for the ones you love this holiday season? A new study suggests you might just be making too much of an effort...
Ali Roff Farrar
Apparently, when it comes to present-buying, we can be too thoughtful.
A study* has found that we place buying unique gifts for each person above getting our loved ones similar gifts, even if we know they are guaranteed to like them, a term the researchers have called ‘over-individuation’, suggesting that we can, in fact, be too thoughtful.
But speaking of gifts everyone is guaranteed to love, you can’t go far wrong with a box of macarons, no matter who you are buying for…
* ‘Over-Individuation in Gift Giving’, Mary Steffel and Robyn A. LeBoeuf, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol 40, 2014
More inspiration:
Read Happiness comes from giving, not buying or having by Dr Steve Taylor on LifeLabs
Photograph: iStock
