How to Trick Your Friends Into Thinking You Gave Them a Sweet Gift

‘ Tis better to give than to receive , but ‘ tis best by far to give something that will make you look sound in the eyes of the recipient — especially if you could save money in the buy . Here’sone psychological findingthat will aid you choose cheap gift people will still appreciate : the less - is - safe effect .

When you give people cash , they always appreciate more . But there are certain circumstances when multitude will prefer a less expensive gift .

Back in 1998 , psychologists gave subjects the probability to prise certain items , and they found a clean trend . Give someone a set of dinnerware with 31 intact piece , and a few broken man , and they care it less than a set of dinnerware with 24 while , none of which are give . Give someone a bighearted cupful that is n’t quite filled with ice cream , and they will like it less than a cup brimming over with ice emollient , even if the underfilled loving cup has 8 apothecaries' ounce and the overfill cup has 7 ounces . Give someone a tatty but useful $ 55 coat , and they will turn over you more of a miser than if you give them a nice $ 45 dollar scarf .

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There is a whoremaster to it . Scientists had some subjects assess one item alone , and give others the chance to liken the two . The people who got to liken the item comment that the objectively more expensive , or bigger , present was more worthful . The less - expensive items were only rated more valuable when they did n’t have the chance to compare .

So get little boxes and stuff them full of homemade biscuit and tissue paper — not broad boxes that have mint of room for the biscuit . Get belittled detail from expensive shops — not big unity from moderately - price shops . This trick should work perfectly if you do n’t allow your friends make comparisons .

theme : Hsee , Christopher K. ( 1998 ) “ Less is better : when low - value options are valued more extremely than gamey - value options , ” Behavioral Decision Making 11(2 ): 107 - 121 .

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