Narcissists don’t give gifts like normal people. When a normal person gives a gift, they generally think about the person that they are getting it for and they put thought and care and meaning behind every gift. For this edition of Finspiration: Laura Straeter, Behavioural Scientist at ING, joins us on the Yolt blog to answer our burning questions on the season of giving. Gifting is a process of gift exchange that takes place between a giver and receiver. In addition, people with Histrionic Personality Disorder depend upon others for validation. And so they can tend to give really shitty gifts. They take more and give less. When you’re codependent, much of your life is spent trying to control your environment--people included. Each year, it’s a new creative challenge to give a gift that will be appreciated (and one that I want to give!) From how much to spend, to picking the perfect present, get all of the answers ahead of the festive season! But we have to remember that narcissists don’t really know you. Ever wonder why we buy gifts? Gift giving is universal and has been a part of cultures and society since the beginning of written history. I’ve been giving gifts for years, but it’s strange how it never seems to get any easier. Psychology lecturer Daniel Farrelly investigates the psychological processes involved in gift giving and how it benefits us from an evolutionary perspective. In order to obtain the approval of others, individuals with the disorder may engage in excessive flattery and gift giving. A Behavioural Scientist sheds some light on the psychology of gift giving . The DSM-5 reports prevalence a rate of Histrionic Personality Disorder at 1.84%. It’s just a fact. The more perceptive among you will realize that this challenge includes a lot of psychology–the psychology of gift-giving. Giving a gift is an ancient and universal way to express gratitude, appreciation, altru- ism and love. Rejecting clients’ clinically appropriate gifts is likely to be perceived as personal rejection or even an insult, and may […] Although it's not officially described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), it has been suggested that compulsive shopping disorder, also known as compulsive buying disorder, is either a type of impulse control disorder, a behavioral addiction or possibly even related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Appropriate gifts in therapy are ethical and enhance authentic therapeutic relationships, which is the best predictor of therapeutic outcome. Stingy people find it hard to give or lend money to others. Though stinginess is commonly associated with money, it manifests in other areas too. The article says: Socially, we are taught that gifts are selfless, thoughtful and virtuous expressions of love, friendship or respect. The psychology of gift-giving and receiving Date: December 22, 2014 Source: Society for Personality and Social Psychology Summary: Researchers are exploring various aspects of gift-giving … In contrast, excessive gift-giving and clients’ gifts of high monetary value, insider stock market tips or gifts given as financial loans by clients have, understandably, been a concern for many therapists, ethicists and licensing boards (Corey, Corey, Callahan, 2003; Lazarus & Zur, 2002, William, 1997). While a generous person gives freely- often finding giving a pleasurable activity, a stingy person withholds and finds giving hard and uncomfortable. Learn about the history and psychological and social motivations behind gift giving and get gift ideas at Activity Superstore. My research with women shows that gift giving can occur as a stalking tactic and separation abuse — it can be very confusing for the woman, and onlookers do not understand why women feel upset.