SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- When it comes to gift giving, it may not just be the “thought” that counts anymore, but the experience you get out of it.
Dr. Ryan Howell, an assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, says that all needs are psychologically based and are applied when we receive gifts.
“We all have needs and money really only can be used to make us happy if it fulfills those needs,” said Howell.
Howell has been studying the relative needs-fulfillment offered by material versus experiential purchases. He says it was this latter group that made purchases such as vacations and meals that brought buyers the most satisfaction.
KCBS’ Jeff Bell reports
“The amount of energy and vigor and excitement they got from engaging in the experience is what made them happier.”
But Howell does point out a distinction with physical gifts, something you might call the “habituation factor.”
“It doesn’t take very long for you to get tired of something you physically receive… but we don’t seem to habituate, or we don’t seem to get used to sort of our memories of experiences”
Howell's study examined purchases made for oneself, but he's confident that his findings can also be applied to gifts received from others.
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