Cooking for others is food for the soul : consistent momentary, but mixed trait-level well-being benefits for home cooks

Abstract

Prosocial behavior can promote well-being, yet the effects of everyday acts—such as cooking for others—remain understudied. Across four studies (N > 1,500), we developed and validated a Prosocial Cooking Scale and examined its well-being effects using cross-sectional surveys and ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Cross-sectional analyses linked prosocial cooking to greater positive affect—but also higher negative affect—at the between-person level. EMA studies revealed within-person benefits: Individuals reported increased positive affect and subjective happiness—and, in our larger community-based sample, higher self-esteem, vitality, and lower negative affect—during prosocial cooking episodes. However, trait-level associations were modest and inconsistent, emerging most reliably for positive affect. Notably, benefits—including positive affect and self-esteem—were strongest for introverts, supporting a person-activity fit perspective. These findings highlight prosocial cooking as an accessible act conferring well-being gains, and illustrate how EMA captures the impact of kindness in everyday life.