Is it just the thought that counts?  or not?   (Probably depends on the relationship between giver & recipeient as per Paul Tournier’s The Meaning of Gifts that I highly recommend.)

In the meantime enjoy this article in the Washington Post on the holiday evidence for picking the best kinds of gifts.   OR as it is actually titled: “The trick to not giving a terrible gift this year”

Critical Thinking: Note the outcome measures cited for each study:

1. Were they direct or indirect; & what is the advantage of each
2. Were they self-report or observation; & what are the pros & cons of each?
3. Were the studies descriptive? or experimental?   What does that tell you about cause & effect?
4. Read Tournier’s tiny book, The Meaning of Gifts & draw your own conclusions.

For more info:  Ask yourself what you would most like for Christmas & check out your friends wishlists!   Check some of the studies cited in the Washington Post article, including Gino & Flynn (2011) evidence on preferences for $, solicited gifts, & unsolicited gifts.  The findings might surprise you:  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103111000801