People usually choose holiday gifts based on the other’s preferences, but a new study has found political beliefs may also play a role.
Researchers found personal politics played a role in gift-giving this season as people made politically charged decisions they thought aligned with the receiver’s ideologies.
They conducted five studies where participants were asked to choose Christmas presents for friends and family, finding they chose based on politics 65 percent of the time.
For example, gift shoppers choosing between brands that align with different political opinions – such as liberal Starbucks versus conservative Black Rifle Coffee – will let the gift receiver’s political preference sway their decision.
In fact, political party played a bigger role in gift selection than the type of product
Those included others’ music taste, art preferences and how much they enjoy experiences versus material goods.
‘Each study reveals a similar pattern: Participants assume political cues are far more impactful on others than they actually are,’ Justin Pomerance, a professor at the University of New Hampshire, said.
‘This overestimation holds true across a variety of consumer choices, from music and art to more personal purchases like gifts.’
The election has laid political opinions bare just in time for the holiday season, and science suggests this could have a big impact on gift giving
The five studies asked online participants to answer a series of purchasing questions.
In the first study, participants created two music playlists: one for themselves, and one for another person.
When selecting songs for themselves, only 58 percent came from artists who aligned with their political ideology.
But when making a playlist for someone else, 64 percent of the songs matched the other person’s leaning.
The second study, which asked participants to choose paintings for themselves and another person, yielded similar results.
They chose politically-aligned art for others more frequently than they did for themselves.
The other three studies followed this same format.
The researchers asked participants to choose an item they would like to purchase for themselves and one for someone else, and predict how much others would enjoy experiences versus material goods.
The researchers found that personal politics played a bigger role when people were purchasing gifts, because in that case, people were making a decision based on how they think others feel
The researchers also compared political cues to other identity markers like gender and race. For example, they told participants that the major donor of a museum was either conservative, liberal or identified by gender or minority status.
The results revealed that political cues had a stronger effect on participants’ perceptions than either gender or race.
‘There are a few reasons for this,’ Pomerance said. ‘For one, it seems more socially acceptable to like or dislike people based on politics than on race or gender.’
‘Political identity feels more like a choice and more reflective of personal preferences.’
These findings have important implications for businesses because although a brand’s political leaning may not influence how customers shop for themselves, it does appear to influence how they are shopping for others.
This is particularly impactful during the holiday season, when businesses see a surge in sales due to people purchasing gifts for their loved ones.
Pomerance said the takeaway for businesses is: ‘If you’re going to take a political stance, maybe think about doing it more in a gift-giving context… that’s where political cues might have an impact because people are making choices for others.’
‘But, it’s also OK to not take a stand. The research indicates you’re not necessarily missing out.’
