The notion of gift-givers and gift-recipients being unable to account
for the other party’s perspective seems puzzling because
people slip in and out of these roles every day, and, in some cases,
multiple times in the course of the same day. Yet, despite the
extensive experience that people have as both givers and receivers,
they often struggle to transfer information gained from one role
(e.g., as a giver) and apply it in another, complementary role
(e.g., as a receiver). In theoretical terms, people fail to utilize information
about their own preferences and experiences in order to
produce more efficient outcomes in their exchange relations. In
practical terms, people spend hundreds of dollars each year on
gifts, but somehow never learn to calibrate their gift expenditures
according to personal insight. Ironically, it seems the giver/receiver
role, and the unique psychological experience that accompanies it,
may serve as a natural roadblock to developing healthy patterns of
social exchange.