Margaret Rucker's research field can be quite in demand this time of year.
Rucker, who is a professor of textiles and clothing, is also an expert in the science of gift giving. She began following gift-giving trends while doing some research on clothing purchased by international visitors to the campus.
More recently Rucker, who holds a doctorate in psychology with an emphasis in consumer psychology from Purdue Univ-ersity, branched out to study all types of gift giving and occasions for presents.
Over the past 15 years she has studied trends in gift-giving traditions among gay men, gift exchanges between the sexes and gift giving across global boundaries, using mainly students and visitors to the º£½ÇÔ´´ International House as research subjects.
Rucker's goal in all the projects is to improve the gift-giving process by gaining a better understanding of the traditions of various groups.
For instance she's found that in countries from Argentina to Tunisia it's unusual to send a thank-you note after receiving a gift. A verbal thank-you is enough; anything else is money wasted.
Rucker's also learned that gay men in a romantic relationship generally spend more time selecting their gifts for their partners than men in a heterosexual partnership. With less social support for homosexual couples, "the material reflection of the relationship becomes much more important," she said.
And in a heterosexual relationship men tend to think of gift giving more in terms of an economic exchange of goods than women do, Rucker has observed.
Women take more of a personal view, and a romantic gesture involving extra effort may be more appreciated than an expensive product.
"When a partner climbed to the top of a tree to get a robin's egg, that was a good gift for one woman," she said.
Some of her most popular research over the years has answered the question, "What makes a good gift?" and "What makes a bad gift?"
"There were more (answers) about that," Rucker said about the latter question.
Based on the students' and I-House visitors' tales, she can't tell you what to get your new girlfriend or your dear Great- aunt Sally for Christmas, but she has uncovered some trends.
Good gifts, Rucker has learned:
- Are a good match for the recipient's wants, needs or interests (as opposed to what the giver wants).
- Are relatively expensive compared to the gift-giver's budget.
- Represent a commitment to the relationship. "If it's something obvious like an engagement ring, or if it's something permanent."
Bad gifts, on the other hand, Rucker said:
- Are token gifts. "Low cost and low effort."
- Are generic. "If it's a gift you have in the closet, something you could give anybody, that's downgraded."
- Symbolize something you want the person to be. "One of the best is giving your girlfriend a Thighmaster or a year's supply of SlimFast, that's not going to be appreciated."
- Additions to a collection. "Our theory there is that if you are a collector you are much more sensitive to the product's attributes.
- Joke gifts.
- Something practical. "It's not a gift if it has a cord attached."
Does Rucker follow her own advice? She tries to. But since friends and family know her gift-giving authority, exchanges can provide her with some undue holiday stress.
"It becomes really difficult," she said. "If I give a gift, I feel my reputation is riding on it."