Study Says Your Expectations Rise if a Gift is Wrapped Nicely
I guess, in a way, you open gifts with your eyes first.
When it comes to food, chefs say that we eat with out eyes first. If the food looks really appealing, then it will mostly likely taste good. Or it will at least seem like it tastes better since it looks so pretty. I'm thinking the same rule applies to Christmas presents, but without the taste part.
Researchers at the University of Nevada at Reno has found a correlation between the looks of a gift and our expectations before opening it. To keep is simple, the nicer the gift looks, the higher our expectations for what the gift is. I'm thinking the opposite rings true too.
Yep, presentation matters.
With that being said, we might have found a gift-giving loophole. If you are unsure of a gift you have gotten someone, don't go crazy with the wrapping. Keep things simple and start with lowering those expectations right off the bat. Then if they love it, they'll be pleasantly surprised!
So save yourself some trouble and just use gift bags.