GiftNavResearch Library
FoundationalPeer-reviewed experimental research· Peer-reviewed

Give Them What They Want: The Benefits of Explicitness in Gift Exchange

Gino, F., & Flynn, F. J. (2011). Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47(5), 915–922. DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2011.03.015.

Read the original source →

Summary

Recipients appreciated explicitly requested gifts more than unrequested alternatives. Givers substantially underestimated this advantage because they believed unsolicited gifts would communicate greater thoughtfulness than recipients actually attributed to them.

Key findings

  • Across five studies, recipients appreciated explicitly requested gifts more than unrequested alternatives.
  • Givers substantially underestimated the appreciation advantage of requested gifts, believing surprise gifts would read as more thoughtful than they actually did.

GiftNav takeaway

Known preferences, wish-list information, saved products, profile reactions and explicit recipient signals should carry substantial recommendation weight. "Surprise" is not inherently superior to "they actually asked for this."

Themes

Used in these research topics

Last reviewed September 14, 2026.

Back to shopping entry