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According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, consumers shopping for more than one person tend to pass on “guaranteed hits” in lieu of getting something unique for each person on their list.

“Having multiple recipients in mind not only means that more gifts are needed, but it may change what shoppers focus on when making gift selections,” write authors Mary Steffel (University of Cincinnati) and Robyn A. LeBoeuf (University of Florida). “Our research indicates that shoppers selecting gifts for more than one person at a time may focus on getting different gifts for each recipient rather than on simply getting what each would like best.”

This behavior is what the researchers term “overindividuation,” or the tendency for shoppers to select a variety of gifts even when they know the recipients won’t be comparing gifts. Ironically, this means that the more shoppers try to be thoughtful, the more likely they are to pass up gifts that would be better liked in favor of individuated gifts.

Consider someone giving a magazine subscription to two friends, both of whom are avid sports fans. Instead of getting both friends a sports magazine, the giver might select a technology magazine for the first friend and a travel magazine for the second, even though both friends might have preferred a sports magazine and even though the giver might have given a sports magazine to either friend if he or she were the only recipient.

In six experiments, the researchers asked shoppers to choose gifts for one or more person. In all of the studies, one gift item was pre-tested to be more appealing than the other available gift items. When shopping for one recipient, shoppers tended to choose the most appealing gift. However, when shopping for multiple recipients, shoppers tended to pass up the more appealing gift in favor of getting different gifts for each person.

“To help consumers from losing sight of what gifts people would most appreciate, we encourage gift givers to think about the type of gifts the recipient would most likely pick for themselves,” the authors conclude.

ᔥMary Steffel and Robyn A. LeBoeuf. “Overindividuation in Gift Giving: Shopping for Multiple Recipients Leads Givers to Choose Unique but Less Preferred Gifts.” Journal of Consumer Research: April 2014. For more information, contact Mary Steffel (mary.steffel@uc.edu) or visit http://ejcr.org/. via Sciencenewsline

A meta-analysis of studies measuring blood concentrations of zinc in some 1,600 depressed subjects and 800 control subjects has found that zinc concentrations were significantly lower in the patients with depression. And in the studies that measured depressive symptoms, greater depression severity was associated with a greater relative zinc deficiency. The senior researcher was Krista Lanctot, Ph.D., of the University of Toronto, and results are published in Biological Psychiatry.

What the results mean from a clinical viewpoint, however, remains to be determined, the researchers point out. Since the literature on zinc and depression is largely limited to case-control and cross-sectional studies, it is not known whether depression creates a zinc deficiency or a zinc deficiency helps set the stage for depression. Zinc is an essential nutrient with multiple biological functions.

It is possible that depression creates a zinc deficiency, the researchers suggest, since appetite changes are a common component of major depression. One study of subjects with the disorder identified trends between lower zinc concentrations and weight loss and anorexia symptoms. On the other hand, a zinc deficiency can induce depressive-like behaviors in animals, which in turn can be reversed by zinc supplements, the researchers point out. Thus “the potential benefits of zinc supplementation in depressed patients warrant further investigation,” they note.

A wide variety of foods contain zinc. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, but red meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc in the American diet. Other good food sources include beans, nuts, certain types of seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products.

A comprehensive overview of depression and how to offer optimal care to depressed patients can be found in the new American Psychiatric Publishing book, Clinical Guide to Depression and Bipolar Disorder: Findings From the Collaborative Depression Study. For more on treating depression, see Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Roadmap for Effective Care.

ᔥAmerican Psychiatric Association

People over 65-years-old are twice as likely to spend the holidays alone compared to those less than 65. Bad weather, increased noise and crowds, and health challenges may make it more difficult for loved ones from older generations to travel.

Fortunately, there are ways to connect with them this holiday season that don’t require travel, said Rhoda Meador, director of the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute. “Elders are more technically advanced than most people think, and it is important for their health and well being to remain socially connected – even if it’s virtual.”

Strategies for connecting with elders are reflected in Meador’s research. The co-author of several books, including “The Family Member’s Survival Guide: What Every Relative of a Nursing Home Resident Needs to Know,” Meador holds a doctorate in consumer and family sciences education from Iowa State University.
Meador offers three tips to help connect with your elders during this holiday season.

1. Make connections a priority. Conversations with older relatives and friends who aren’t present for the holidays should be scheduled ahead of time. Trying to fit in a phone call or online chat won’t “just happen” on its own, especially when the rush of the holidays occurs. Scheduling will help make connecting with loved ones a priority and allow your elder relatives time to be prepared.

2. Connect through technology. 43 percent of people over 65 access the Internet regularly and 34 percent of those are on social media sites. Since many older people are unable to travel over the holidays, technology can help bridge the distance. An older family member could be included in a holiday gathering remotely by setting a place at the table for a laptop and connecting with them via online video chat programs like Skype.

3. Plan topics of conversation ahead of time and be sensitive to the needs of older family members when connecting via phone or internet:

• Tone down or eliminate background noise to make it easier for people with hearing aids to understand conversations.

• Help children understand the health challenges facing older family members by preparing children ahead of time. For example, “Grandpa will be really excited to hear about your new friend, but he can’t hear unless you speak up.”

• Use positive communication skills. Challenge yourself to find out at least one new thing about each of your loved ones that you don’t already know. Try asking open-ended sentences like, “Tell me about what activities you’re most enjoying lately.” (It’s probably a good idea to steer the conversation away from controversial topics like politics and money and toward hobbies and interests).

• Use photos, family heirlooms, music, and food to stimulate intergenerational storytelling. Seeing a younger version of Grandma in vintage clothing can stimulate questions such as, “Where was this photo taken,” and “Who is that good looking guy driving the ’47 Ford?” Music and TV shows can also bring back memories, like “Remember the first time we saw Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer on TV?” Treasured recipes can stimulate conversations about family traditions as well as your taste buds. “This is Grandma’s fudge recipe; remember how she made it every Christmas?”

“While no technology can take the place of in-person human interaction, technology can help elders connect with younger generations and remain socially connected over the holidays,” Meador said. “Elders can check with their local community centers or libraries for classes on how to get started online or they can have a tech-savvy grandchild or neighbor get them started.”

For more information, contact Molly Israel, director of communication, at mmisrael@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-1440.

ᔥ Ithaca College