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

Abstract

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