Gift exchange is a mechanism by which relationships are created, maintained, and managed. However, research reveals that the gifts givers prefer to give often differ from the gifts recipients prefer to receive, and relies on error in the givers’ gift choice to explain giver-recipient gift preference asymmetry.
This dissertation adopts an attachment theory perspective of gift exchange to examine givers and recipients’ gift exchange preferences. Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969/1973/1980) explains how individuals’ working models of self and other influence their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors toward relationships. As gift exchange strengthens, confirms, or distances relationship intimacy, the work in dissertation demonstrates that individuals are predisposed toward certain gift preferences in order to influence relationship intimacy in accord with their attachment style. Generally, recipient- and relationship-focused gifts confirm or strengthen relationships, while giver-focused gifts weaken them (Kleine et al., 1995; Ruth et al., 1999). Therefore, this dissertation asserts that attachment style affects the identity-congruence levels givers and recipients prefer in gifts.
Based on data from 151 friendship dyads, study 1 uses the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to investigate how givers’ and recipients’ attachment styles dyadically affect the levels of identity-congruence preferred in gifts given and received. Study 2 provides a practical investigation into how marketers can influence gift givers’ selection of a brand as a gift. Using data collected from 491 participants, study 2 demonstrates how matching an advertising message to an individual’s attachment style facilitates persuasion.
This dissertation seeks to contribute to theory and practice in several ways. This work establishes the attachment theory perspective of gift exchange as a relationship-level phenomenon and explains how attachment styles dyadically affect preference for gifts expressing differential levels of identity-congruence. In doing so, an alternate explanation for giver-recipient gift preference asymmetry is provided. Finally, a practical tactic that marketers can use to influence the selection of their brand as a gift is provided.