Defining and Delineating Mindful Gifting: A Review and Research Agenda

Summary

This paper brings together research on gift giving and mindful consumption to define mindful gifting as a distinct concept. The authors describe it as attentive consideration of gifting's effects before, during, and after the exchange. Their framework includes care for the self, other people, society, and the environment, along with temperance in consumption. The review positions gifting as a process with personal, relational, ethical, and environmental consequences.

Key findings

• Mindful gifting involves attention to the effects of gifting across the full process, including planning, exchange, use, and later consequences.
• Care is directed toward the giver, recipient, wider social network, and environment.
• The framework identifies tensions between caring intentions and gifting behavior, including excessive or poorly considered consumption.
• The authors organize the reviewed literature into a framework for future research rather than testing a single intervention.

Limitations & cautions

This is a conceptual paper and scoping review. It does not experimentally test whether a reflective shopping exercise improves gift selection, relationship strength, or recipient satisfaction. The underlying literature uses varied methods and covers several forms of gifting, so its framework should not be treated as proof that one process or product produces mindful behavior.

Themes

• Thoughtfulness & Sentimentality
• Relationships & Social Signaling

Used in these research topics

• Mindful Gifting and the Clues You Already Have