If you’re struggling to identify the ideal present, a team of behavioural scientists have devsied a method to identify the perfect gift based on your loves one’s personality.
Leading behavioural expert Mike Hughes teamed up with TK Maxx to create a series of prompts based on the Pyramid of Maslow, which created a hierarchy of human needs based on three categories: the things you need to reach your full potential, your psychological needs and basic, everyday needs.
Drawing from these, they identified four personality types: Curious Spirit, Social Connector, Big Achiever, and Simplicity Seeker, and determined which gift would best suit their needs.
Curious Spirit
‘This person loves to lose themselves in their passions and interests, and this year more than most they will have missed exploring new sights and sounds,’ Mike said.
‘As they look to the new year they’ll likely be planning a new adventure and looking to re-discover the hobbies and activities they’ve missed out on this past year,’ he added.
GIFTS:
Curious Spirits like to follow, so would love a trendy gadget, Mike suggested.
‘They also love new discoveries, so introducing them to something new is likely to go down well,’ he added.
‘Ideal gifts for this personality type could be anything including an innovative new piece of technology, a book to spark a new hobby or a craft or cookery set to push them out of their comfort zone,’ he added.
Social Connector
‘The Social Connector is happiest when surrounded by their loved ones. They love spending time with friends and family, and unfortunately video calls just haven’t cut it for them this year,’ Mike said.
‘As we look to 2021, they’ll be finding new and exciting ways to stay connected with those they cherish, beyond the standard Zoom and FaceTime calls,’ he added.
GIFTS:
‘The Social Connector cherishes special memories so they’ll love gifts that remind them of a favourite moment you’ve shared together,’ Mike suggested.
‘The thought really does count with them too, so adding a personal touch to their gifts will ensure it feels extra special,’ he added.
Mike also said that this personality type thrives on quality time with friends and family, and will look for ways to connect with them by buying scents or sound that remind them of these people.
‘When it comes to the perfect gift, think scented candles, dinner party sets or even a camera for setting the scene and making memories,’ he said.
Big Achiever
‘This go-getter is always setting themselves a new challenge, and this year they’ve really missed being recognised for all the great things that they do and achieve,’ Mike said.
‘In 2021, they will mostly be kick-starting their next big project and pursuing one of their many passion,’ he added.
GIFTS:
‘The Big Achiever prefers gifts that remind them why you think they’re so great. They love to celebrate their achievements,’ Mike said.
‘So gifts that recognise their best qualities will hit the mark this year. They also love to push themselves, so a gift that can help them pursue a new goal will likely prove a big win,’ he added.
He said a 2021 diary or planner, or perhaps health and wellness gear would best suit this personality type.
Simplicity Seeker
‘This person loves home comforts & the simple things in life, and actually needs very little – they always make the most of what they have,’ Mike said.
‘So for the Simplicity Seeker we’ll really be focusing on living the good life and celebrating the things that matter most to them,’ he added.
GIFTS
Mike said that this personality type likes to make sure that they and those around them have everything they need, so gifts that they are likely to get good use out of will go down a treat.
‘The Simplicity Seeker is all about the practical things in life, so is there one particular gift that could make their life easier? Not one for spoiling themselves (as much as they should do!), what unexpected treat could you gift that will make them feel extra special,’ Mike said.
‘Think of gifts such as books, baking supplies and cosy winter accessories that will never go a miss, perhaps with a touch of personalisation to add an extra layer of thoughtfulness,’ he added.
Mike explained how the team achieved their results.
‘In our research we unearthed the psychology behind human needs and what makes us feel special,’ he said.
‘This is based on the work that a psychologist called Maslow did in the 1950s, and reviewed with a 2020 lens to identify updated needs based on the rather unique year we’ve had.
‘Once we identified our four new needstates – The Curious Spirit, The Social Connector, The Big Achiever & The Simplicity Seeker – we then looked to the psychological research to understand what behavioural principle might motivate that person most,’ he explained.
‘For instance, for the Curious Spirit, we found that the behavioural principle of “Idiosyncratic Fit” is what makes them feel most special, meaning they place greater value on things that have been personalised to fit their unique selves,’ he said.
‘Conversely, for the Social Connector, this person needs that heightened sense of connection, so they will be more motivated by core emotional responses to words, images and events,’ he added.
‘So for them, we created prompts that helps them cherish special memories and moments, and creates that sense of connection with their gifter, even when they might not be able to be together in person.’