This type of gift can quickly turn this festive moment into a slightly embarrassing moment. Here’s why you should avoid it at all costs.
A team of researchers was interested in a very common phenomenon: these Christmas gifts which, without really knowing why, create a little tension in the middle of the living room. Their work reveals that a certain type of present more often disturbs the atmosphere, especially when it comes from a family member. The study, conducted by Florida International University, looked at how we react to a gift offered by someone with whom we already share a history, habits, discussions sometimes light, sometimes more sensitive, very often a parent, a brother or a sister. To understand what happens when you tear off the gift wrap in front of the family, the researchers conducted five experiments including 1,340 participants. They compared objects that were similar in their function, but different in the image they sent.
A neutral tea was passed quietly from one hand to the other. A very oriented tea, although identical in the cup, no longer provoked the same smile at all. In both cases, the object remained the same, but its label changed its place in the relationships. What really interests researchers here is not the object itself, but what it triggers in the family sphere. In fact, they asked the participants to explain their impressions, and a constant emerged: gifts that give the feeling that they “want to make someone change” are less well received, less well rated, and more often criticized.
In this context, all gifts echoing personal improvement such as a gym membership, a connected watch, fitness equipment, slimming tea or even personal development books are rarely well received at Christmas. Indeed, received from a loved one, this type of gift takes on a more intimate meaning. Not because the person offering it means something bad, but because within a family, every gesture is part of a long shared history.
A remark heard last summer, a three-year-old discussion or a simple habit observed by a parent can suddenly resurface when unwrapping a package. Researchers believe that a successful gift is one that strengthens the bond, not one that awakens an old worry or a little sensitivity that the family has already talked about a lot. Of course, we will also avoid anti-wrinkle creams or other gifts involving a household task if the person receiving it has not clearly expressed their desire to receive the latest model of trendy vacuum cleaner…
