Explanation
Correct answer: D.
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of perceptions of digital versus physical gift cards. The text begins by explaining that the perception of "the time spent obtaining a gift…as a reflection of the gift’s thoughtfulness" is a social norm of gift giving. The text then explains that although those who receive digital gift cards view them as easier to use than physical gift cards, a marketing study nonetheless showed that 94.8% of participants found physical gift cards more "socially acceptable" to give. The text specifically contrasts the ease with which digital gift cards "can be purchased online from anywhere" with the fact that physical gift cards "sometimes must be purchased in person"—suggesting the greater difficulty of obtaining physical cards. Given the text’s initial premise that gift-giving norms equate the thoughtfulness of a gift with the effort involved in acquiring that gift, it is reasonable to infer that people perceive digital gift cards as requiring less effort to obtain and thus assume recipients will appreciate them less, even though recipients actually prefer gift cards in the more usable digital format.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect. Although the text does discuss recipients’ preference of digital versus physical gift cards and the relative ease with which the two formats can be used, it doesn’t consider the misconceptions that gift givers may have of these factors. Moreover, the text establishes that recipients regard digital gift cards as easier to use and therefore preferable to physical gift cards.
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t consider whether recipients of gift cards feel a sense of ownership toward them, nor does the text touch on the greater tangibility of physical versus digital gift cards. Instead, the text contrasts the two formats of gift cards in terms of their respective usability and the difficulty involved in acquiring them and discusses how those factors influence people’s perceptions of the two formats.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect because it contradicts the text, which explains that recipients regard digital gift cards as superior to physical ones because they are easier to use than physical cards, not because physical gift cards require greater effort to obtain than digital gift cards do. Moreover, the text doesn’t characterize the effort required to obtain physical gift cards as "unnecessary."