Dr. Cory Haltman, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, studies the psychology behind gift-giving and how people make decisions when choosing presents.

Gift-giving can be enjoyable, but it can also become stressful when we start overthinking it. Many people worry about finding the “perfect” gift, giving it at the right time, or making sure it feels meaningful enough.

Dr. Haltman explains what research reveals about the psychology of gift-giving, why people often worry about the wrong things, and what actually matters most to the person receiving the gift.