Wilt Joshua A, Thomas Sarah, McAdams Dan P
Case Western Reserve University, USA.
PBS-SoCal (KOCE-TV), USA.
Heliyon. 2019 Jul 31;5(7):e02178. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02178. eCollection 2019 Jul.
Self-reported authenticity is related to higher well-being, however, employing self-report questionnaires to measure authenticity may be limited in that they do not capture the lived experience of authenticity. We employ a narrative identity approach to the study of authenticity to potentially better capture some of the idiosyncratic richness and nuance of authentic experience. In Study 1, 87 undergraduates wrote descriptions of three separate memories: one in which they felt authentic, one in which they felt inauthentic, and a vivid, emotional memory. Thematic analysis identified five dimensions of authenticity (relational authenticity, resisting external pressures, expression of true self, contentment, owning one's actions) and 4 dimensions of inauthenticity (phoniness, suppression, self-denigration, and conformity). In study 2, 103 undergraduates provided written descriptions of authentic and inauthentic experiences. Scenes were coded for the dimensions of authenticity and inauthenticity listed above, and those categories were related to self-report scales assessing authenticity and related constructs (autonomy, honesty, Machiavellianism). Correlational and factor extension results suggested that narratives themes showed evidence of both convergent and discriminant validity. Implications for narrative and self-report approaches to authenticity are discussed.
自我报告的真实性与更高的幸福感相关，然而，使用自我报告问卷来衡量真实性可能存在局限性，因为它们无法捕捉真实性的实际体验。我们采用叙事身份法来研究真实性，以潜在地更好地捕捉真实体验中一些独特的丰富性和细微差别。在研究1中，87名本科生撰写了对三段不同记忆的描述：一段是他们感到真实的记忆，一段是他们感到不真实的记忆，以及一段生动的情感记忆。主题分析确定了真实性的五个维度（关系真实性、抵抗外部压力、真实自我的表达、满足感、对自己行为负责）和不真实性的四个维度（虚伪、压抑、自我贬低和从众）。在研究2中，103名本科生提供了对真实和不真实经历的书面描述。对场景按照上述真实性和不真实性维度进行编码，并且这些类别与评估真实性及相关构念（自主性、诚实、马基雅维利主义）的自我报告量表相关。相关分析和因子扩展结果表明，叙事主题显示出收敛效度和区分效度的证据。文中讨论了叙事法和自我报告法在研究真实性方面的意义。
