Gift receipt and the reformulation of interpersonal relationships

Sherry(1983) defines reformulation as the final stage of gift exchange, dur ing which a newly presented gift can impact the relationship between giver and recipient. To date no one has examined exactly how gifts can affect rel ation!;hips or what aspects of gift exchange contribute to realignment of t he giver/ recipient relationship. Using depth interviews and critical-incid ent surveys, our study explores how the recipient's perceptions of the exis ting relationship, the gift, the ritual context, and his or her emotional r eactions converge to affect relationship realignment. We identify six relat ional effects of gift-receipt experiences. Further, we examine gift-receipt experiences that have a consistent impact in the short and long term, and those where the meanings and relational effects appear to change over time. Implications for future research are also discussed.