Psychology suggests gift givers may feel pressure when receiving presents
People who enjoy selecting gifts for others may experience discomfort or a sense of obligation when they receive them.
According to a report by the Times of India, individuals who find pleasure in choosing gifts for others may feel unexpected pressure when they are on the receiving end of a gesture.
While some people spend weeks finding the right present and feel happy when others open them, they may react to receiving gifts by smiling awkwardly or insisting that the giver should not have spent money.
Research suggests this discomfort may stem from a sense of indebtedness. A 2024 study titled ‘The psychological, computational, and neural foundations of indebtedness’ found that receiving something can create both gratitude and a sense of obligation to repay the favour.
A 2021 study by researcher Julian Givi, published in the Journal of Business Research, indicated that gift givers often underestimate how uncomfortable recipients feel when they cannot reciprocate.
The study found that recipients are often more concerned about the imbalance in appreciation than givers realise. This can lead to people feeling uneasy if they have not prepared anything in return.
The discomfort is not necessarily linked to low self-worth or a dislike of affection. It may be caused by a dislike of being the centre of attention, worries about the cost of a gift, or social settings where returning favours is strongly expected.