Margaret Rucker's research field can be quite in demand this time of year.

Rucker, who is a professor of textiles and clothing, is also an expert in the science of gift giving. She began following gift-giving trends while doing some research on clothing purchased by international visitors to the campus.

More recently Rucker, who holds a doctorate in psychology with an emphasis in consumer psychology from Purdue Univ-ersity, branched out to study all types of gift giving and occasions for presents.

Over the past 15 years she has studied trends in gift-giving traditions among gay men, gift exchanges between the sexes and gift giving across global boundaries, using mainly students and visitors to the Davis International House as research subjects.

Rucker's goal in all the projects is to improve the gift-giving process by gaining a better understanding of the traditions of various groups.

For instance she's found that in countries from Argentina to Tunisia it's unusual to send a thank-you note after receiving a gift. A verbal thank-you is enough; anything else is money wasted.

Rucker's also learned that gay men in a romantic relationship generally spend more time selecting their gifts for their partners than men in a heterosexual partnership. With less social support for homosexual couples, "the material reflection of the relationship becomes much more important," she said.

And in a heterosexual relationship men tend to think of gift giving more in terms of an economic exchange of goods than women do, Rucker has observed.

Women take more of a personal view, and a romantic gesture involving extra effort may be more appreciated than an expensive product.

"When a partner climbed to the top of a tree to get a robin's egg, that was a good gift for one woman," she said.

Some of her most popular research over the years has answered the question, "What makes a good gift?" and "What makes a bad gift?"

"There were more (answers) about that," Rucker said about the latter question.

Based on the students' and I-House visitors' tales, she can't tell you what to get your new girlfriend or your dear Great- aunt Sally for Christmas, but she has uncovered some trends.

Good gifts, Rucker has learned:

• Are a good match for the recipient's wants, needs or interests (as opposed to what the giver wants).
• Are relatively expensive compared to the gift-giver's budget.
• Represent a commitment to the relationship. "If it's something obvious like an engagement ring, or if it's something permanent."

Bad gifts, on the other hand, Rucker said:

• Are token gifts. "Low cost and low effort."
• Are generic. "If it's a gift you have in the closet, something you could give anybody, that's downgraded."
• Symbolize something you want the person to be. "One of the best is giving your girlfriend a Thighmaster or a year's supply of SlimFast, that's not going to be appreciated."
• Additions to a collection. "Our theory there is that if you are a collector you are much more sensitive to the product's attributes.
• Joke gifts.
• Something practical. "It's not a gift if it has a cord attached."

Does Rucker follow her own advice? She tries to. But since friends and family know her gift-giving authority, exchanges can provide her with some undue holiday stress.

"It becomes really difficult," she said. "If I give a gift, I feel my reputation is riding on it."