How Sweet It Is: Exploring Kindness Communication and Communicator Prosocial Dispositions as Predictors of Capacity for and Engagement in Savoring

Certain communicative actions are prosocial, and reflecting on (i.e. savoring) these behaviors can be meaningful for communicators. This mixed-methods study developed a typology of kindness communication and examined how prosocial dispositions predict savoring. Participants described five types of kindness communication: acts of service (small and large), gifting, emotional support, companionship/inclusion, and expressed appreciation. We assessed beneficence and humanity-esteem as predictors of engagement in savoring and capacity to savor kindness communication. Beneficence emerged as the strongest predictor of both outcomes. Findings highlight kindness communication and savoring as agentic, relational processes with implications for communication theory, pedagogy, and relational well-being.