There’s no experience quite as rewarding as watching a loved one unwrap a gift from you and seeing their face light up in appreciation and awe. But, when the response doesn’t meet your expectations, it can sting—especially if you had high hopes for the gift. To help you avoid that disappointment, happiness expert Gretchen Rubin released The Gift-Giving Quiz, an eight-question test that helps you determine what kind of gift would make your loved ones the happiest.
Rubin’s quiz asks you to answer questions about your recipient’s habits and behaviors, and then uses those answers to sort them into one of four gift-appreciation profiles: the “Easy-To-Please,” the “Tried-and-True,” the “Enthusiast,” and the “Connoisseur.” Each of these types has different preferences in terms of novelty, trendiness, familiarity, and exceptionalism. The results share gift-giving advice tailored to those preferences, as well as specific gift recommendations.
Rubin’s gift-appreciation profiles are based on observations she made during her research for her latest book Life in Five Senses on how the five senses can influence your experience of happiness. She noticed that there were subtle variations among people in terms of how much they valued quality and variety, and how important they considered each. “These [discoveries] explain why certain kinds of gifts work really well for certain kinds of people, and other ones fall flat,” says Rubin. According to her, “A good gift allows your recipient to feel like you really see them and have paid special attention to their passions and interests.”
Understanding the type of gift your recipient most wants to receive can ensure that your time, effort, and money are well-spent and that your recipient feels appreciated— which is the entire point of gift-giving. “Sometimes people think gift-giving is just some consumeristic thing, but no, this is deep in the heart of human nature,” says Rubin. “It’s of enormous importance because our impulse for reciprocation is so strong.”
When it comes to the four types of gift recipients, it is important to know their unique likes and dislikes. Let’s take a look at a detailed breakdown of each gift-appreciation type, along with the kinds of gifts they’re bound to love.
After determining your recipient’s gift-appreciation type with the quiz, try taking it for yourself as well, suggests Rubin. Understanding your own gift-appreciation type can help you identify what you value in the gifts you receive and potentially take some of the gift-giving pressure off of your loved ones.
