With the holidays upon us, the season of gift-giving is officially underway. Gift giving is at once an ancient and ubiquitous practice and believed to build and nurture social bonds. Thus, selecting an appropriate gift for close relations is no casual task. Thankfully, psychological research can help in better informing and illuminating your choices.

Gift-giving is a part of the holidays and I think most want to give to someone they love. But my heart goes out to the millions of people who will not receive a gift or a card or share a holiday meal with anyone this season.