Why We're Terrible at Giving Gifts
In this Hidden Brain segment, Shankar Vedantam explains research showing that gift‑givers and recipients have mismatched priorities. Psychologist Jeff Galek’s study finds that givers focus on the moment of unwrapping and the surprise factor, while recipients care about the long‑term usefulness of the gift. Economist Joel Waldfogel quantifies the inefficiency, estimating a 10‑33% gap between a gift’s price and the value it provides to the recipient. The segment argues that givers mistakenly avoid predictable gifts, assuming they seem thoughtless, yet recipients actually prefer gifts that match their stated preferences, even if expected. Vedantam concludes with a practical tip: ask what the person has already expressed they want, rather than trying to surprise them, and invites listeners to explore more on Hidden Brain.
