Gifting personality: What type of gift-giver are you?
Christmas is a time for giving and receiving – but we all give a little differently. What type of gifting personality do you have and what does it say about you?
Giving can be good for us.
In fact, research has found many times over there’s a direct correlation between generosity and happiness.
“Giving has been part of human cultures across time,” Associate Professor Peggy Kern, from the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Wellbeing Science says.
“It’s a behaviour that shows care to others, maintains social bonds and plays a very useful role in terms of helping us maintain connections with others, which are critical to our wellbeing and survival.”
What does your gifting personality reveal?
Though we all give gifts, we all have our own gifting personality.
Culture and social norms play a role, as does our motivation, Assoc Prof Kern explains.
“The gift might be to show appreciation or to establish a connection,” she says.
“It can show respect or be a reciprocal act … you give me something, so I give you something.”
The four common types gifting personality
Heartfelt
These people love gifting and tend to put a lot of thought and effort into their presents, Assoc Prof Kern says.
“It’s fascinating how much time and effort some people go to.
“They may focus on the person and think, ‘What would this person like’.
“They may also reflect on what giving that particular gift says about them.”
Cost doesn’t matter for these buyers; the value of the gift is in its meaning, not the price tag, according to Assoc Prof Kern.
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Last minute
Most people are guilty of buying right before deadline.
An Australia Post survey found one in three Australians leave Christmas shopping until the last week.
Assoc Prof Kern says buying last minute or on impulse does not necessarily mean the person cares less, it might be that they are just not organised.
Practical
More than half of Australians (52 per cent) like to give a useful gift rather than a meaningful one, according to a recent study.
This is commonly in the form of a gift card or cash, and baby boomers are most likely to engage with this kind of gifting.
Still, Assoc Prof Kern warns sometimes a logical gift can be “misconstrued” to lack emotion, which can cause tension in a relationship.
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Small and simple
Sometimes good things come in small packages, and Assoc Prof Kern says people who give small and simple presents often show care but also restraint.
“The thing about gifts is you can always go bigger and bigger, so simple gifts are not like last-minute gifts, often they’re something small or simple that is really coming from the heart,” Assoc Prof Kern says.
“There might be some reason for the restraint, like financial reasons, but the person is showing they still care.
“But it can be a challenge when there’s a mismatch between the person’s intention of a simple gift and the other person’s expectation,” she says.
- Priceless gift: How to make a positive difference this Christmas
How the pandemic impacts gifting personality
Regardless of your gifting personality, the pandemic will have lingering impacts on Christmas this year and will directly impact our gift buying habits, according to CQ University’s Dr Sardana Khan.
First, there will be an increase of people who will sell or trade items or creations online to make up enough money for the Christmas budget, she says.
“When you have no money to give gifts, and you’re spending a lot of time at home being locked down, you can develop projects or you can sell your own products to the nearby consumers to get some money and buy new stuff,” Dr Khan says.
“We are seeing evidence of that happening.”
When it comes to parents buying gifts, she says the big focus has been on video games and other electronics to keep kids entertained while indoors.
For friends, more people will buy gifts online and have them delivered to their address.
“This has a special benefit because even if the package arrives a little bit late, your friends still know that you have bought something for them,” Dr Khan says.
“That you’ve actually invested effort before the day.”
But with more people working from home, Dr Khan predicts the tradition of the office Secret Santa will change.
“In the office space, we frequently exchange small, little gifts that we do as a gesture,” she says.
“These are not happening in a virtual office, but the benefit is that it will actually create less pressure on people.”
For more fun and inspiring tips on how to enjoy a merry and safe festive season, check out the December issue of The House of Wellness, available free in all Chemist Warehouse stores.
Written by Alex White.
