On the nature of authenticity
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Authors
Stafford, Edie
Issue Date
2025-04-25
Type
Other
Language
en_US
Keywords
Scholarship Sewanee 2025 , University of the South, Authenticity, Self-Composition, Agency, Transformation
Alternative Title
Abstract
Undergraduate participants (N = 148) responded to two life-narrative prompts, one soliciting a turning point and one requesting a moment of self-authentic behavior. One of the participant narratives was followed by the Sense of Agency (SOA; Tapal et al., 2017) measure, rephrased to focus on the moment of the narrative. The order of the prompts was randomized, as was which prompt was followed by the SOA. No significant order effects were found. Following the prompts and SOA, participants completed the Authenticity Scale (AS; Wood et al., 2008), the Behavior subscale of the Authenticity Inventory (AI-B; Kernis & Goldman, 2004), and the Realness scale (Hopwood et al., 2021). Narratives were analyzed for thematic content through deductive coding. In particular, we applied a coding scheme for authentic and inauthentic thematic content (Wilt et al., 2019), and narratives were also coded for themes of agency and communion (McAdams, 2002). Regression analysis supported the main hypothesis (R2 = .190, p < .05). Authentic, as opposed to turning point, narratives were associated with higher SOA scores (ß = .32, p < .001). Lower Self Alienation scores, derived from a subscale of the SA, were also independently associated with higher SOA scores (ß = -.20, p < .05). Further analyses using coded variables gathered from participant narratives are under exploration. Overall, these findings contribute to the growing literature on narrative identity and personality research by empirically validating the interconnectedness of authenticity, agency, and communion. Specifically, this research addresses a gap in the current understanding of how individuals narrate their experiences and perceive their roles as agents within these narratives.
Description
Citation
Publisher
University of the South