50 Times People Used Their Awesome Sense Of Humor To Surprise Their Valentines (New Pics)

"We can think of two basic psychological factors at play when it comes to gift giving. On one hand, giving to others does make the 'giver' feel good—and this fact is largely rooted in our evolved psychology. Humans have evolved to form close bonds with others with strong (if implicit) norms regarding reciprocity. So when you give someone whom you love a gift, it helps you feel good partly because this act unconsciously informs you that an important social connection is being cultivated—and that you might get something good in return!" Dr. Geher, from the State University of New York at New Paltz, explained to Bored Panda in an email.

"Put simply, gift-giving feels good partly because humans thrive on strong, authentic, and often-loving social connections," he said.

According to Dr. Geher, human beings, just like many animals, evolved to present themselves in a positive way to others, especially to their mates or potential mates.

"From this perspective, conspicuous gift-giving (like surprising a mate with an Audi sitting in the driveway—adorned with a large red bow) partly evolved for show-related purposes. In fact, behavioral scientists often use the term 'costly signaling' for such acts. Conspicuous giving seems to be much more about telling the world about oneself rather than solidifying a bond or showing a partner or friend that you really care," the psychology professor told us.

"This is partly why my amazing wife might not find an Audi with a bow on the driveway this Valentine’s Day (but, of course, anything’s possible!)."

Humor and playfulness can be found in many relationships. However, we were interested in finding out whether relationships can be healthy without these two factors. Dr. Geher shed some light on this.

"Healthy relationships have various foundational elements. Love and trust, for instance, are certainly in the mix. That said, creativity, often accompanied by humor, is a major player when it comes to all stages of intimate relationships—from initial attraction all the way to maintaining a truly loving relationship," the professor told Bored Panda.

"We tend to like creative and funny people. And creating with one’s partner is a wonderful way to maintain a loving bond," he said. He gave some examples of this, such as collaborating on paintings and writing songs together.

"Without creativity and humor, I suppose a relationship might not necessarily fail, but, on the flip side, the most loving of relationships often include healthy doses of creativity and humor. My wife Shannon and I make a point to create art—in some form or another—together every single day—and I have to say that I wouldn’t trade that part of our relationship for anything," Dr. Geher opened up to us.