The Best Gift Idea? Your Personal Touch
A Penn State study casts doubt on the need to find the perfect holiday gift as a means of expressing love for family and friends. There are better ways to do that, results showed. Researchers asked 495 men and women ages 18 to 93 to fill out a questionnaire designed to rank how people feel love. The 60 different choices available all began with the phrase “Most people feel love when…” and included options such as spending time with friends, receiving gifts, spending time in nature. “Our research found that micro-moments of positivity, like a kind word, cuddling with a child, or receiving compassion make people feel most loved,” reported researcher Zita Oravecz, a professor in human development and family studies. The study also showed that, despite personality difference, most participants agreed that spending time in the presence of loved ones makes them feel most loved. Overall, the participants viewed human interaction as a more significant expression of love than receiving gifts.
Source:
Zita Oravecz et al, “What does it mean to feel loved: Cultural consensus and individual differences in felt love.” Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, August 11, 2017
Also in this week’s bulletin:
