Givers eschew gifts that are inferior to their own: How social norms, regulatory focus, and concerns about offending lead givers astray

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Consumer Psychology

Abstract

We explore gift givers' and gift recipients' preferences concerning gifts that compareunfavorably to givers' own products. Across eight studies, we demonstrate thatgivers refrain from giving gifts that compare unfavorably to their own possessionsmore often than recipients prefer. This effect emerges because givers are moreprevention-focused (less promotion-focused) than recipients and wish to avoid offending recipients by violating a corresponding social norm that our resultssuggest is of less concern to those receiving their gift. We find evidence for thistwo-stage process through both mediation and moderation. This research adds tothe gift giving literature by examining a new type of gifting decision, documentinga novel giver–recipient preference asymmetry, and shedding light on the roles thatsocial norms, regulatory focus, and offensiveness play in gift giving.

Publication Date

4-5-2022

Publisher

Wiley

Volume

Vol.33

Issue

Iss.2

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