The Role of Authenticity in Healthy Psychological Functioning

1
The Role of Authenticity in Healthy Psychological
Functioning
2
Collaborators

• Michael Kernis
• Josh Foster
• Amy Brunell
• Chad Lakey
• Whitney Heppner
• Robert Piasecki
• Alison Hermann

3
What does it mean to be authentic?
4
Authenticity in Everyday Life

• "At a point in every person's life, one has to
  look deeply into the mirror of one's soul and
  decide one's unique truth in the world, not as we
  may want to see it or hope to see it, but as it
  is"

5
A Brief Historical View of Authenticity

• True Self vs. False Self Behaviors
• Philosophy
• -Phenomenologists (e.g., Heidegger)
• -Existentialists (e.g., Frankl)
• Humanistic Psychologists
• -Maslow
• -Rogers

6
Summary of Historical Perspectives

• AUTHENTICITY is rooted in self-processes in which
  ones self is
• Discovered, explored, expanded
• Accepted
• Imbued with meaning/purpose
• Actualized
• Fully Functioning (i.e., healthy)

7
A Multicomponent Conceptualization of
Dispositional Authenticity

• Authenticity The unimpeded operation of ones
  core or true self in ones daily enterprise
  (Goldman Kernis, 2002 Kernis, 2003)
• Four Components
• Awareness
• Unbiased Processing
• Behavior
• Relational Orientation

8
Awareness

• Knowledge, recognition, and trust in, ones
  motives, feelings, desires, self-relevant
  cognitions, and their role in psychological
  functioning (e.g., behavior).
• Self-Understanding
• Figure-ground Personality Traits (Perls,
  Hefferline Goodman, 1951)
• e.g. Strengths AND Weaknesses

9
Awareness Items

• I understand why I believe the things I do about
  myself
• I am aware of when I am not being my true self
• I am not in touch with my deepest thoughts and
  feelings
• I am often confused about my feelings

10
Unbiased Processing

• Reflects objectivity in self-evaluation and
  acceptance of ones positive and negative
  self-aspects, attributes, qualities, and
  potentials.
• That is, unbiased processing involves NOT
• Denying
• Distorting
• Ignoring
• self-relevant information derived from both
  internal experiences and externally based
  information sources

11
Unbiased Processing Items

• I find it very difficult to critically assess
  myself
• I prefer to ignore my darkest thoughts and
  feelings
• Id rather feel good about myself than to
  objectively assess my personal limitations and
  shortcomings
• I try to block out any unpleasant feelings I may
  have about myself

12
Behavioral Authenticity

• Reflects acting in accord with ones values,
  preferences, and needs as opposed to merely
  acting to please others or attain rewards or
  avoid punishments
• Free and natural expression of ones core
  feelings, motives, and inclinations
• Sensitive to the fit (or lack of) between ones
  core self and dictates of the environment

13
Behavioral Authenticity Items

• I find that my behavior typically expresses my
  needs
• I try to act in a manner that is consistent with
  my personally held values, even if others
  criticize or reject me for doing so
• Ive often done things that I dont want to do
  merely not disappoint people
• I am willing to change myself for others if the
  reward is desirable enough

14
Relational Orientation

• Valuing and achieving openness, honesty and
  sincerity in ones close relationships
• Strive for intimates to understand who one
  really is, both good and bad
• Strive for understanding who ones intimates
  really are
• Freely express themselves to intimates

15
Relational Orientation Items

• My openness and honesty in close relationships is
  extremely important to me
• I want close others to understand the real me
  rather than the public persona or image
• If asked, people I am close to can accurately
  describe what kind of a person I am
• People close to me would be shocked or surprised
  if they discovered what I keep inside me

16
Dispositional Authenticity and Healthy Functioning

• Well-Being
• Psychological Adjustment Functioning
• Interpersonal Adjustment Functioning

17
WELL-BEING

• Subjective Well-Being
• Life Satisfaction
• Positive and Negative Affectivity
• Psychological Well-Being
• Autonomy
• Environmental Mastery
• Personal Growth
• Positive Relationships
• Purpose/Meaning in Life
• Self-Acceptance

18
Dispositional Authenticity and Subjective
Well-Being
19
Dispositional Authenticity and Psychological
Well-Being
Entries in bold and italics p lt .05 Entries in
bold, italics, underlined p lt .01
20
Psychological Adjustment Functioning

• Self-Esteem
• Self-Concept Organization
• Coping Styles

21
Dispositional Authenticity and Self-Esteem (e.g.,
Goldman Kernis, 2002)
Entries in bold, italics, underlined p lt .01
Entries in bold and italics p lt .05
22
Authenticity and Self-Concept Organization
Entries in bold and italics p lt .05 Entries in
bold, italics, underlined p lt .01
23
Dispositional Authenticity and Healthy Coping
Styles
Entries in bold and italics p lt .05 Entries in
bold, italics, underlined p lt .01
24
Dispositional Authenticity and Unhealthy Coping
Styles
Entries in bold, italics, underlined p lt .01
Entries in bold and italics p lt .05 Entries in
italics only p lt .10
25
Interpersonal Adjustment Functioning

• Attachment Styles
• Self-Disclosure
• Self-Concealment
• Self-Monitoring

26
Dispositional Authenticity andAttachment Styles
Entries in bold, italics, underlined p lt .01
Entries in bold and italics p lt .05 Entries in
italics only p lt .10
27
Dispositional Authenticity andGeneral
Interpersonal Functioning
Entries in bold, italics, underlined p lt .01
Entries in bold and italics p lt .05 Entries in
italics only p lt .10
28
Summary Conclusions

• Dispositional Authenticity is pervasively linked
  with diverse markers of healthy functioning, such
  that higher dispositional authenticity scores
• (1) Greater Well-Being (e.g., subjective and
  psychological)
• (2) More Healthy Psychological Functioning
• (i.e., A Strong Sense of Self self-
• esteem, self-concept organization)
• (3) More Healthy Interpersonal Functioning
• (e.g., attachment security, self-disclosure)