The Phenomenon and Sources of Gift Malaise in Adults Open Access

Abstract

The current study seeks to establish and understand “gift malaise,” i.e., the feeling of discomfort experienced by the recipient of an unexpected windfall or gift. We probed four possible reasons for gift malaise: 1) inequity aversion, 2) merit, the feeling of un-deservingness, 3) the shortcut of typical reciprocation, and 4) an obligation or debt aversion. 270 adult participants (M=18.78, SD=1.543) completed an online survey comprised of a series of eight gift-giving centered vignettes (four experimental, four control), asked to evaluate the feelings and reactions that would be experienced by the gift recipient. Results demonstrate that gift malaise is experienced by a majority of adults. It is particularly prevalent in situations associated with inequity aversion, and it is significantly less prevalent in relation to merit (un-deservingness), the shortcut of typical reciprocation, and even less in relation to social obligation. We conclude that inequity aversion might be the main source of gift malaise. 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 Methods..........................................................................................................................................12 Results............................................................................................................................................15 Discussion......................................................................................................................................20 References......................................................................................................................................27 Tables.............................................................................................................................................30 Figures............................................................................................................................................34 Appendices.....................................................................................................................................39 

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Psychology
Subfield / Discipline	Cognition and Development
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Developmental Psychology, General
Keyword	Merit Inequity Aversion Gift Malaise Social Obligation Reciprocity
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Arber Tasimi, Emory University Daniel Coppeto, Emory University Philippe Rochat, Emory University Elizabeth Kim, Emory University

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