Distilling the concept of authenticity

Abstract

Authenticity has long captured the imagination of literary figures, philosophers and scientists. The construct originated in Aristotelian thinking and serves as an injunctive societal norm in contemporary society. Although people have been fascinated with authenticity since at least the time of the ancient Greeks, the concept remains elusive. In this Review, we aim to clarify the construct of authenticity. First, we consider the evidence for conceptualizations of authenticity as self-accuracy, self-consistency, self-ownership and self-enhancement. We then differentiate between trait authenticity and state authenticity and highlight pertinent theoretical models and measurement approaches. Authenticity is relevant to psychological functioning, and we describe its associations with self-regulation, behaviour regulation, interpersonal relations, psychological health and consumer behaviour. Although authenticity has beneficial effects in these domains, it also has drawbacks such as the potential for hypocrisy, off-putting positive self-presentation and conflict in the workplace. We conclude by pinpointing empirical lacunae and proposing future research directions.

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