The authentic self is the self-enhancing self: A self-enhancement framework of authenticity
The authentic self is the self-enhancing self: A self-enhancement framework of authenticity
Authenticity refers to behaving in a manner that aligns with one’s true self. The true self, though, is positive. From a self-enhancement standpoint, people exaggerate their strengths and overlook their shortcomings, forming positively-distorted views of themselves. We propose a self-enhancement framework of authenticity, advocating a reciprocal relation between the two constructs. Trait self-enhancement was associated with higher trait authenticity (Study 1), and day-to-day fluctuations in self-enhancement predicted corresponding variations in state authenticity (Study 2). Furthermore, manipulating self-enhancement elevated state authenticity (Studies 3–4), which was associated with meaning in life (Study 4), and manipulating authenticity augmented self-enhancement, which was associated with meaning in life and thriving (Study 5). The authentic self is largely the self-enhancing self.
authenticity, better-than-average effect, meaning, self-enhancement, well-being
Guenther, Corey L.
8b978440-5986-4f2a-99f7-d7c88c61f6d4
Zhang, Yiyue
6355328a-3df8-47e4-86fe-433b77076e2a
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
31 March 2023
Guenther, Corey L.
8b978440-5986-4f2a-99f7-d7c88c61f6d4
Zhang, Yiyue
6355328a-3df8-47e4-86fe-433b77076e2a
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
Guenther, Corey L., Zhang, Yiyue and Sedikides, Constantine
(2023)
The authentic self is the self-enhancing self: A self-enhancement framework of authenticity.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
(doi:10.1177/01461672231160653).
Abstract
Authenticity refers to behaving in a manner that aligns with one’s true self. The true self, though, is positive. From a self-enhancement standpoint, people exaggerate their strengths and overlook their shortcomings, forming positively-distorted views of themselves. We propose a self-enhancement framework of authenticity, advocating a reciprocal relation between the two constructs. Trait self-enhancement was associated with higher trait authenticity (Study 1), and day-to-day fluctuations in self-enhancement predicted corresponding variations in state authenticity (Study 2). Furthermore, manipulating self-enhancement elevated state authenticity (Studies 3–4), which was associated with meaning in life (Study 4), and manipulating authenticity augmented self-enhancement, which was associated with meaning in life and thriving (Study 5). The authentic self is largely the self-enhancing self.
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Guenther et al., 2023, PSPB
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01461672231160653
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Accepted/In Press date: 10 February 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 31 March 2023
Published date: 31 March 2023
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Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was partially supported by a graduate student research fund from Ohio University to the second author.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.
Keywords:
authenticity, better-than-average effect, meaning, self-enhancement, well-being
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 476746
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/476746
ISSN: 0146-1672
PURE UUID: 9a926e4a-a2bf-411e-8621-a745362fd509
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Date deposited: 12 May 2023 17:01
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 02:49
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Author:
Corey L. Guenther
Author:
Yiyue Zhang
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