Authenticity

A Multicomponent Conceptualization

One definition of authenticity is that it reflects the unobstructed operation of one's true, or core, self in one's daily enterprise. From this perspective, the essence of authenticity involves four interrelated but separable components: (1) awareness, (2) unbiased processing, (3) behavior, and (4) relational orientation. The awareness component refers to being aware of one's motives, feelings, desires, values, strengths and weaknesses, and trait characteristics. Moreover, it involves being motivated to learn about these selfaspects and their roles in one's behavior. As one learns about these self-aspects, one becomes more aware of both the “figure” and “ground” in one's personality aspects. In other words, people are not exclusively masculine or feminine, extraverted or introverted, dominant or submissive, and so on. Rather, although one aspect of these dimensions generally predominates over the other, both aspects exist. As individuals function with greater authenticity, they are aware that they possess these multifaceted self-aspects, and they use this awareness in their interchanges with others and with their environments.

A second component of authenticity involves the unbiased processing of self-relevant information. Stated differently, this component involves objective assessment and acceptance of both positive and negative self-aspects and evaluative self-relevant information. Conversely, it involves not selectively denying, distorting, or ignoring positive and negative information about oneself (e.g., one's positive achievements or poor performances). Some people, for instance, have great difficulty acknowledging having limited skills at a particular activity. Rather than accept their poor performance, they may rationalize its implications, belittle its importance, or completely fabricate a new and better score. Others have difficulty acknowledging positive aspects of themselves or their abilities, and they interpret their success to be due exclusively to luck. All of these people are exhibiting bias in processing evaluative self-information that reflects the relative absence of authentic self-evaluation.

A third component of authenticity involves behavior, specifically whether an individual acts in accord with his or her true self. Behaving authentically means acting in accord with one's values, preferences, and needs as opposed to acting merely to please others, comply with expectations, or conform to social norms. Likewise, behavioral authenticity is limited when people act falsely to attain external rewards or to avoid punishments. The distinction between acting authentically versus acting falsely can be complex. For instance, situations exist in which the unadulterated expression of one's true self may result in severe punishments (i.e., insults or exclusion). In such cases, behavioral authenticity exists when a person is aware of the potential adverse consequences of his or her behaviors and chooses to act in ways that express his or her true self. The important point is that authentic behavior does not reflect a compulsion to be one's true self, but rather the choice to express one's true feelings, motives, and inclinations.

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