Failing to give the gift of improvement: When and why givers withhold self-improvement gifts

When gift giving, consumers often avoid giving self-improvement products—products designed to help individuals improve a specific skill or an aspect of themselves. However, recipients may have different preferences for such gifts. Across seven studies, I demonstrate that consumers give self-improvement products less often than recipients would like because givers overestimate the degree to which such gifts convey criticism. I further demonstrate that this preference asymmetry is diminished when the gift suggests improvement in a non-fundamental identity domain or when the giver knows that the recipient has adopted a goal to improve themself in the same domain that the gift suggests improvement. The present research contributes to the gift giving literature by illustrating a unique mismatch between givers’ and recipients’ gift preferences and examining its boundary conditions. The findings presented here provide guidance for retailers who sell self-improvement products and for consumers who aim to give good gifts.