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Gift-Giving and Mental Health: The Role of Prosocial Spending in Promoting Happiness
The happiness you see on your giftee’s face during a gift exchange goes beyond the surface level. Their smile is more than just a meaningless symbol to represent happiness, joy, and acceptance.
Rather, the act of gift-giving and mental health are closely intertwined; for both the gift giver and the gift recipient, this practice has a much deeper effect on mental health, psychological and physical well-being, emotions, and the brain’s connections!
Gifting is a form of prosocial behaviour that may help safeguard mental health in the long term. Prosocial behaviour is indicated by acts between two individuals that help each other, such as gift-giving.
Prosocial behaviour as such is important to support and protect mental health and boost emotional well-being. Spending money on others, more commonly known as prosocial spending, can lead to greater levels of happiness in comparison to spending that money on yourself.
Studies show that prosocial spending for a stranger as opposed to spending on oneself results in greater momentary happiness. Similarly, in previous research done on Canadian and South African students, it was revealed that students who purchased and gave away candy for sick children in a local hospital rather than themselves reported being happier, regardless of having to spend their own money, highlighting the link between giving and mental health.
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Gift exchange has a high social value and is the primary context of social relationships. There are two categories of gifts; experiential and material.
Experiential gifts are gifts in which an individual acquires a life experience, whereas, a material gift is the giving of a material good. In comparison to material gift exchange, experiential gift exchange can increase individual satisfaction, increase social connections and can strengthen interpersonal relationships.
However, the gifts that support mental health do not have to pertain to a specific category. Gift exchange is shown to increase social well-being for both the gift giver and gift recipient despite the size of the gift itself.
According to past research, gratitude is increased after gift exchange, and after receiving a gift, the giftee is pushed through reward systems to repay the gift-giver, and in turn this individual positively influences their performance as well.
In addition to strengthening and developing social relationships, the cooperative attitudes that constitute gifting behaviours helps implement social inclusion, therefore, boosting mental health.
Specifically, the concept of gift-giving and mental health is highlighted by a cross-cultural study on prosocial spending, revealing that despite levels of income, rich and poor countries alike, manifested greater levels of happiness when spending and giving to others.
Even during a randomly assigned charity task, participants had greater levels of positive affect in comparison to individuals who bought the same items for themselves.
North American students who participate in prosocial spending in the form of gifts and charities, often have greater levels of well-being, illustrating the important link between giving and mental health.
The Effects of Charitable Gifting on Mental Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The pandemic put a halt on the lives of many around the world. COVID-19 affected not only affected jobs, and social interactions, but created or exacerbated mental health issues such as depression from the increased isolation, or anxiety from the germs scare, sick family, or severity of the disease.
Consequently, the pandemic has resulted in a severe impact on mental health worldwide. A study done on the charitable gifting of COVID-19-related and COVID-19-unrelated items showed higher levels of empathy and positive affect (Varma et al., 2022).
Prosocial spending, generosity and gift-giving during the pandemic had a positive psychological effect and increased well-being, illustrating the vital link between gift-giving and mental health despite the difficult times.
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Greater levels of interpersonal engagement, like those involved in gift-giving, can help with the coordination of behavioural activities.
In terms of the neurobiology behind gift exchanges, there is more cortical activation of the gift giver, when compared to the receiver in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and premotor cortex (DPMC).
The DLPFC and DPMC areas of the brain represent visuomotor performance and social strategy respectively.
This in turn implies that gift exchange for both the gifter and recipient has a more active role in prosocial behaviour when the DLPFC is activated due to the emotional engagement and empathic mechanisms taking place during the exchange.
The relevance of this neurophysiological connection to giving and mental health is significant in the context of gift-giving, as previous research shows that the DLPFC area is also important in prosocial and social processes of exchange.
It helps suppress selfish behaviour, creates social reinforcement, and fosters meaningful and strong relationships. Another study examined how brain activity and behavioural performance improved after gift exchange.
Results showed that the act of giving always had a positive effect on gratitude, improved interpersonal bonds, behavioural performance, and was closely linked to giving and mental health.
Gift exchange also resulted in a greater activation of delta and theta bands in the DLPFC, correlating to the increased positive emotions and motivation associated with gift-exchange.
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Important takeaways
Although gift-giving may seem rather stressful for the gift giver and, in some cases, the receiver as well, the overall positive impact of gifting is far greater.
According to evidence-based research, when we spend on others and give gifts, this promotes our happiness and mental health, underscoring the vital connection between gift-giving and mental health.
Even giving small gifts to others from time to time may provide small boosts of happiness and greater well-being. Gifts to boost mental health do not require loads of money. They can really just be simple gestures of love.
Gifts of emotion and shared experiences with another individual are proven to be most effective on mental health. Even charitable giving is one of the top predictors of life satisfaction worldwide.
In comparison to spending on oneself, prosocial spending on gifts and charities results in overall states of greater well-being and happiness among many cultures worldwide and is not limited by income.
Not only does all this take effect on the surface level, but there are neurological connections to the benefits of gift-giving behaviour as well.
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and premotor cortex (DPMC) both show signs of increased activity, which promote healthy relationships, emotions, well-being and prevent selfish acts.
Overall, the practice of gift-giving and mental health is important to develop relationships and promote mental and physical health.
Abeer Mumtaz
Psychology Blogger,
The Shared Secrets Lab,
GiftAFeeling Inc.
FAQs
How does gift-giving help mental health?
Gift-giving can positively impact mental health by fostering feelings of joy and satisfaction in both the giver and receiver. It strengthens social bonds and increases a sense of connection. This act of generosity also boosts self-esteem and happiness, while reducing stress and promoting an overall sense of well-being.
What does gift-giving do to the brain?
Gift-giving activates the brain's reward centers, releasing endorphins and dopamine, which create feelings of joy and satisfaction. It enhances emotional connections, promoting a sense of social bonding and trust. This process not only makes the giver feel good but also reinforces positive social behaviors and empathy towards others.
Does giving gifts increase dopamine?
Yes, giving gifts can increase dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. The act of giving stimulates the brain's reward pathways, releasing dopamine. This creates feelings of happiness and satisfaction, making gift-giving not only enjoyable for the recipient but also psychologically rewarding for the giver.
What are the mental effects of giving?
The mental effects of giving include a boost in happiness and self-satisfaction, often referred to as the 'helper's high'. It leads to a sense of connection and improves social bonds. Giving also reduces stress and anxiety, promotes gratitude, and can enhance feelings of self-worth and empathy towards others.
How does giving to others improve mental health?
Giving to others improves mental health by fostering a sense of happiness, fulfillment, and purpose. It activates the brain’s reward centers, releasing feel-good chemicals like dopamine. This act of generosity reduces stress and anxiety, enhances feelings of social connection, and boosts overall emotional well-being, promoting a healthier mental state.
Read The Official Research Paper On - Gift-Giving and Mental Health: Understanding Its Impact on Emotions and Brain Function
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