People usually choose holiday gifts based on the other person’s preferences, but a new study has found that political beliefs can also play a role.
Researchers found personal politics played a role in gift giving this season, as people made politically charged decisions that they believed aligned with the recipient’s ideologies.
They conducted five studies asking participants to choose Christmas presents for friends and family, finding that they chose based on politics 65 percent of the time.
For example, gift shoppers who choose between brands that align with different political views – such as the liberal Starbucks versus the conservative Black Rifle Coffee – will let their decision be influenced by the gift recipient’s political leanings.
In fact, political party played a greater role in gift selection than the type of product
That included others’ music tastes, art preferences, and how much they enjoy experiences versus material goods.
“Every study shows a similar pattern: Participants assume that political signals have much more impact on others than they actually do,” said Justin Pomerance, a professor at the University of New Hampshire.
“This overestimation applies to a variety of consumer choices, from music and art to more personal purchases such as gifts.”
The election has exposed political opinions just in time for the holidays, and science suggests it could have a big impact on gift giving
In the five studies, online participants were asked to answer a series of purchasing questions.
In the first study, participants created two music playlists: one for themselves and one for someone else.
When selecting songs for themselves, only 58 percent came from artists who aligned with their political ideology.
But when creating a playlist for someone else, 64 percent of the songs matched the other person’s preferences.
The second study, in which participants were asked to choose paintings for themselves and someone else, yielded similar results.
They more often chose politically oriented art for others than for themselves.
The other three studies followed the same format.
The researchers asked participants to choose one item they would like to buy for themselves and one item 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 bought gifts, because people made a decision based on how they think others feel.
The researchers also compared political signals with other identity markers such as gender and race. For example, they told participants that a museum’s top donor was conservative or liberal, or identified by gender or minority status.
The results showed that political cues had a stronger effect on participants’ perceptions than gender or race.
“There are a few reasons for that,” Pomerance said. “First, 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 reflects more personal preferences.’
These findings have important implications for businesses because while a brand’s political leanings may not impact the way customers shop for themselves, it does appear to impact the way they shop for others.
This is especially impactful during the holidays, when businesses see an increase in sales as people buy gifts for their loved ones.
Pomerance said the message for companies is: ‘If you’re going to take a political position, maybe think about doing it more in a gift-giving context… that’s where political signals can be influential, because people make choices for others.’
‘But it’s also okay not to take a stand. The research shows that you are not necessarily missing anything.’