New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS): Gifting is part and parcel of the festive season. Ironically though, when it comes to buying a gift for the person you are usually the closest to and seem to think know the best, it becomes the biggest challenge.

A recently conducted survey found that most people name their spouse as the most difficult person to buy a gift for, while a large number said they get the worst gifts from their friends.

According to Giftology research, 'Gift perplexity' was found more in men than in women while buying something for their spouse.

The survey was conducted by Titan Watches.

Nearly 59 percent men said their wife or girlfriend was the toughest person to buy a gift for, while 46 percent women were of the same opinion about their partner.

The hard work, however, pays well. Most people - 64 percent men and 51 percent women - cited their partner's gift as the best they have received.

"Giftology is a science which, like wine, gets better with age. While only 20 percent of those in the 18-24 age group find it easy to buy a gift for their partner, the figure was 46 percent in the age group of 55 or above," said Rajan Amba, Titan's global marketing and product head.

On an average, 60 percent people find their partners' gift the best.

When asked her opinion about the survey, Sushila Dey, a retired school teacher agreed to the trend displayed.

"When you spend so much time with a person, you come to know him inside out, and understand his needs, his wishes. So, for instance, a tool box would be a perfect gift for my husband because he loves fixing things, even unfixing and fixing again," Dey said, adding that her daughters would rather that she buys something more fancy for him.

When it comes to friends, though, 38 percent people said they have received the worst gifts from their friends.

"Very few people, only nine percent, said buying gifts for their friends is a difficult task; while 38 percent of the receivers said they get the worst gifts from their friends. This shows that in general, Indians go for pretty straightforward gifts for their friends, not putting in too much time or effort, and thereby making it the least satisfying experience," Amba said.

Rashmi Aggarwal, a professional, tries to reason the trend.

"In this fast paced, tightly packed scheduled life, there is hardly any time for one's family, let alone choosing a gift for a friend. And unless the friend is really close, people try to play it safe when it comes to gifting rather than take out time and get innovative."

Probably this is why gift vouchers are becoming so popular these days - they are practical, and least time consuming.

Therefore, higher the 'gift perplexity', more will be the care and attention given to details, and, therefore, more satisfying will be the experience -- both for the receiver and as well as for the giver, Amba said.