Some people say that appearances can deceive. They might be right in the case of giving gifts.
In the U.S., consumers spend billions of dollars per year wrapping presents. This is done to make gifts look as nice as possible. The money spent includes paper, boxes, and ribbons.
Some people are very skilled in gift-wrapping with their perfect folds and carefully tied bows. Others are not quite up to the task and would rather wash dishes or clean the house.
Two colleagues and I wondered if all the time and effort were worth it. Is a more attractive gift a result of a nicer presentation? Is it the opposite?
Sloppy versus neat
In a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology by University of Nevada Reno professors Jessica Rixom, Brett Rixom, and myself, we conducted three experiments exploring the impact of gift-wrapping.
In the first experiment, we recruited 180 students from Miami universities to attend a lab for behavioral research as an extra-credit exercise. Each student received a gift upon arrival as a token to show their appreciation for participating.
Randomly, a coffee cup with the logos of the Miami Heat or the rival Orlando Magic NBA teams was given out. A prior survey revealed that all participants were Heat fans and did not support the Magic. We wanted to make sure that half the students received a gift they liked and the other half got something they didn’t want.
The rest of the presents looked like they were thrown together.
Participants rated their satisfaction with the gift after unwrapping it. The participants who got a gift that was poorly packaged liked it significantly more than the ones who received a gift that was neatly wrapped, regardless of what mug they received.
Which would you choose? The author provides
Manage expectations
We asked another group of students to report their expectations before seeing the gift.
The participants were asked to imagine receiving the gift, which was for a pair of JVC earbuds. They then rated their attitudes towards it to see if it met their expectations.
The results showed that the expectations for neatly wrapped presents were higher than those of poorly packaged gifts. After the reveal, those receiving the neatly wrapped gift stated that it did not live up to expectations. Those who received the sloppily-wrapped grant, however, said it exceeded their expectations.
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It suggests that people will use the packaging to judge the quality of the gift. The gift will appear to be of high quality if the wrapping is neat. Wrapping that is sloppy sets expectations low, implying a poor offering.
A gift that is neatly wrapped can lead to disappointment, but one that looks sloppy will bring a pleasant surprise.
Friends versus acquaintances
We wanted to see if this effect was dependent on the relationship between gift-givers and recipients. Is it important if the gift-giver is an old friend or a new acquaintance?
We asked 261 adults, a representative national sample, to imagine themselves at a party where there was a secret gift swap. Randomly, participants were shown images of neatly wrapped or sloppily packaged gifts. We asked half of the participants to imagine that the gift came from a friend, while the other half thought it was from an acquaintance. We then revealed the gift to them and asked for their ratings.
Just like our other experiments, when it was a gift from a friend, the recipients liked the gift that was poorly packaged more. When the facility was from a friend, however, recipients liked it better when it was neatly packaged. The reason for this is that participants use the wrapping to indicate how much the gift-giver values their relationship rather than what’s inside. The gift-giver is likely to appreciate the relationship if they use neat wrapping.
It may not be worth it if it is for a friend. Efetova Anna/Shutterstock.com
Enjoy a pleasant surprise.
If you are stressed out about gift-wrapping this holiday season, save yourself money, time, and effort by haphazardly wrapping gifts.
If you are planning to give someone a gift that you do not know very well, such as a colleague at work, it is worth the effort to make sure it looks good. This includes neat edges, beautiful bows, and crisp folds.
These results are something I am very interested in. I will only sloppily wrap my wife’s gifts from now on so that she is always pleasantly surprised, no matter how great or bad the facility may be.
You can make your choice easier if you put this in a Christmas context. Your face will reveal your true feelings and thoughts, even if only briefly. You may choose to prioritize goodwill and peace in your family gatherings, which means that the unwritten rules for social interaction will take precedence. It’s often said that it is the thought that counts. So maybe you can keep that smile on for a bit longer.
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