Feeling like you know who you are: perceived true self-knowledge and meaning in life

When meaning in life protects against fear of death: The moderating role of self-alienation

OBJECTIVE

A sense of meaning in life (MIL) is thought to help protect people against experiencing explicit anxiety about death. However, the experience of meaning is complex and subjective and may relate to death anxiety in nuanced ways. We examine how self-alienation-a feeling of not knowing/being disconnected from one's self-might moderate the relationship between MIL and death anxiety.

METHOD

Across five studies, we tested the hypothesis that MIL would negatively predict death anxiety more strongly for people relatively low in self-alienation. These studies were similar in design and included exploratory, confirmatory, and pre-registered tests.

RESULTS

A meta-regression across our five studies (N = 2001) provided clear evidence that MIL was most strongly associated with lower death anxiety at low self-alienation. We also observed that MIL was positively associated with death anxiety at high self-alienation. These effects were consistent in direction but inconsistent in strength.

CONCLUSIONS

We interpreted these results as evidence that MIL is existentially protective when experienced in combination with a relatively strong, clear, and connected sense of self. In contrast, MIL may be existentially problematic when people feel relatively unaware and disconnected from themselves. These findings align with aspects of terror management theory and highlight the potentially complex ways that MIL might relate to death anxiety.

Don't Worry About Being You: Relations Between Perceived Authenticity and Mental Health are Due to Self-Esteem and Executive Functioning

Numerous studies show that perceived authenticity is a reliable predictor of mental health outcomes. To expand on these studies, we examined whether such relations could be due to perceived authenticity's confounding with both self-esteem and executive functioning. A representative sample of US participants (N = 446; Mage = 46.10; 51.1% female; 78.0% White) completed measures of perceived authenticity, self-esteem, executive functioning, and various indicators of mental health (e.g., subjective wellbeing, depression). At the bivariate level, perceived authenticity had a positive, large correlation with a mental health composite. However, after controlling for self-esteem and executive functioning, this relationship became nonsignificant and trivial in size. The findings extend basic understanding of how self-relevant constructs contribute to mental health and suggest advice for individuals looking to capitalize on evidence linking perceived authenticity to mental health benefits: Build a strong base of self-worth and exercise agency.

Strengthening the meaning in life among college students: the role of self-acceptance and social support - evidence from a network analysis

Meaning in life, which has two possible sources: self-acceptance and social support, is essential to the mental health and development of college students. The current study aims to further clarify the symptom-level relations between meaning in life, self-acceptance, and social support, finding possible ways to improve meaning in the life of college students. Thousand three hundred and forty-eight Chinese college students completed the online questionnaire, including Self-acceptance Questionnaire, Social Support Rating Scale, and Meaning in Life Questionnaire and the data from 1,263 participants was used. Cross-sectional network analysis was used to examine the relation between self-acceptance and social support. We also explored the relation between dimensions of self-acceptance and social support and meaning in life using the flow network. The results show symptom "SlA" (self-acceptance) is the bridge symptom linking self-acceptance and social support. In the flow diagrams, "SlA" is directly and positively associated with the presence of meaning. Objective Support shares the strongest positive association with the search for meaning. The symptom "SIA" may be an important targeting symptom when trying to improve the meaning in life of college students. Additionally, social support is essential for college students to develop meaning in life.

The Influence of State Authenticity on the Sense of Meaning in Life of Middle School Students: Evidence from a Daily Diary Investigation and an Authenticity Enhancement Experiment

Authenticity is a positive force for adolescent development. Taking middle school students as the main research objects, this paper examines the causal mechanism between state authenticity (SA) and sense of meaning in life through two studies: the diary method and authenticity level increase experiment. In study 1, through the daily diary data tracking investigation of 130 middle school students in daily life situations, the basic psychological needs (BPNs) and satisfaction with life (SWL) play a chain mediating role between state authenticity and sense of daily meaning in life. State authenticity has a one-way prediction effect on sense of meaning in life. In study 2, 140 participants were randomly divided into two groups (experimental group and control group). Middle school students in the experimental group were activated to recall the authenticity experience events to enhance the level of personal authenticity, and it was found that the subjects reported a higher sense of meaning in life. This study reveals the causal mechanism between authenticity and sense of meaning of life, which has positive practical significance for exploring ways to enhance the sense of meaning of life of middle school students.

Perceiving a Stable Self-Concept Enables the Experience of Meaning in Life

We test the hypothesis that the perception of stability in one's self-concept (i.e., future self-continuity) enables the experience of meaning in life because perceiving a stable sense of self confers a sense of certainty to the self-concept. Study 1 provided initial evidence of the influence of future self-continuity on feelings of meaning in life (MIL) in a nationally representative sample. In Studies 2a and 2b, we manipulated future self-continuity by varying the expectedness of one's future self, demonstrating the causal influence of future self-continuity on self-certainty and feelings of MIL. Study 3 again manipulated future self-continuity, finding an indirect effect on feelings of meaning in life via self-certainty. Our findings thus suggest the experience of meaning in life arises from the perception of a stable sense of self. We discuss the implications for the antecedents and conceptualization of MIL as well as the nature of the self-concept.

Authentic for Thee But Not for Me: Perceived Authenticity in Self-Control Conflicts

Is self-control authentic? Across several hypothetical scenarios, participants perceived impulsive actions as more authentic for others (Study 1a) but self-control as more authentic for themselves (Study 1b). Study 2 partially replicated this asymmetry. Study 3 accounted for behavior positivity because self-control was typically the more positive action in the previous studies. Study 4 minimized the influence of positivity by framing the same behaviors as either impulsive or controlled; impulsive actions were deemed more authentic than self-control, but only for other people. An internal meta-analysis controlling for behavior positivity revealed that (a) more positive behaviors are more authentic, and (b) impulsive actions are more authentic than self-controlled actions, especially for others. This actor-observer asymmetry suggests that, even in the face of a strong tendency to perceive positive actions as authentic, there exists a competing tendency to view others' impulsive actions as more authentic than self-control.

Clarifying Eudaimonia and Psychological Functioning to Complement Evaluative and Experiential Well-Being: Why Basic Psychological Needs Should Be Measured in National Accounts of Well-Being

Measuring subjective well-being as a key indicator of national wellness has increasingly become part of the international agenda. Current recommendations for measuring well-being at a national level propose three separate dimensions: evaluative well-being, experiential well-being, and eudaimonia. Whereas the measurement of the first two dimensions is relatively standardized, the third category has remained undertheorized, lacking consensus on how to define and operationalize it. To remedy the situation, we propose that the third dimension should focus on psychological functioning and the identification of key psychological factors humans generally need to live well. A key part of psychological functioning is the satisfaction of basic psychological needs-specific types of satisfying experiences that are essential for psychological health and well-being. Psychological needs as a category provides a parsimonious set of elements with clear inclusion criteria that are strongly anchored in theory and our current understanding of human nature-and could thus form a core part of the third, "eudaimonic" dimension of well-being. The needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness have especially received broad empirical support. Accordingly, national accounts of well-being should include measures for key psychological needs to gain an enriched and practically useful understanding of the well-being of the citizens.

Meaning in life through work: A cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST) perspective

This article explores existential meaning-making from work using the cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST). To start with, we use the tenets of CEST to elaborate on how the cues from archetype work environments—a realization facilitating work environment (RfWE) and justification facilitating work environment (JfWE)—are interpreted by information-processing systems to imbue meaning in life (MiL) as internal or external manifestations of coherence, purpose, and significance. Next, we explain how individual differences in work centrality and proactive meaning-crafting ability moderate the impact of JfWE, but not of RfWE, on MiL. Finally, we create a nomological network of existential meaning states emerging from the simultaneous presence or absence of RfWE and JfWE. In summary, by applying the information-processing lens of CEST, we develop an integrated model that explains how work drives MiL, elucidates the resultant existential states, and assesses the role of individual differences in meaning-making.

Plain Language Summary

This article develops an integrated model that outlines how work environments can augur human well-being by fostering a sense of meaning in life (MiL). Based on the cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST), expounding parallel-competitive processing of information through the working of the experiential and rational system, we explore how the cues from archetype work environments—a realization facilitating work environment (RfWE) and justification facilitating work environment (JfWE)—influence the varied flavors of MiL and meaninglessness in life. We build the argument that RfWE activates the functioning of the experiential system to induce a feeling of internal MiL as internal coherence, internal purpose, and internal value significance. At the same time, JfWE triggers the functioning of the rational system to construct a judgment of external MiL as external coherence, external worthy purpose, and external value significance. However, the interaction between RfWE and JfWE can result in intricate scenarios, including favorable states such as holistic meaning, positive existential feelings, and positive existential narratives. Still, it can also lead individuals into meaninglessness in life through existential fatigue, existential cocoon, or existential futility. Nonetheless, individual differences in work centrality and proactive behavior to craft meaning can act as moderators to alter the intensity of work’s impact on MiL in a JfWE but not in an RfWE.

Authenticity, Meaning in Life, and Life Satisfaction: A Multicomponent Investigation of Relationships at the Trait and State Levels

OBJECTIVE

The present study sought to examine: (1) how the components of authenticity (i.e., authentic living, self-alienation, accepting external influence) relate to one another at between- and within-person levels of analysis; (2) how the authenticity facets relate to meaning in life (i.e., purpose, comprehension, mattering) and life satisfaction at these levels of analysis; and (3) whether these relationships persist when controlling for affect and self-esteem.

METHOD

Canadian undergraduates (N = 203) completed a trait questionnaire and end-of-day reports on these constructs for two weeks (n = 2335).

RESULTS

At between- and within-person levels, authentic living was negatively associated with self-alienation and accepting external influence, while the latter two facets were positively associated. Authentic living was positively related to well-being and predicted greater well-being the following day. Alternatively, self-alienation and accepting external influence were negatively related to well-being, and self-alienation predicted lower well-being the following day. Relationships involving authentic living and self-alienation were more robust than those involving accepting external influence.

CONCLUSION

Extending research on authenticity beyond between-person relationships, our findings show that daily states of authenticity predict well-being in nuanced ways, depending on the facet of authenticity. This highlights the importance of distinguishing levels of analyses and facets of authenticity.

Existential Isolation and Suicide Ideation Among Chinese College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model

Although previous studies have preliminarily explored the link between existential isolation (EI) and suicidal ideation, their relationship is not well understood. Drawing upon the state trait EI model and terror management theory, the present study proposes that EI could predict suicidal ideation owing to a crisis of meaning, speculating that self-esteem and perceived social support can alleviate the negative effects of EI. Most research on EI has come from individualistic cultures; no prior studies have explored this theme in China, which is widely considered to be a representative collectivist culture. The present study aims to close this gap in the literature by exploring two hypotheses using a sample of Chinese college students ( N = 480). The results showed that participants who identified as men had higher EI than participants who identified as women. Moreover, individuals living in rural areas with a lower subjective economic status or the experience of being left behind have higher levels of EI. EI can predict suicidal ideation, both directly and indirectly, through a crisis of meaning. However, self-esteem and perceived social support can alleviate the negative influence of EI, and their moderating roles were also discussed.

Co-creation on Redefining Consumer Well-Being Needs Among Youth Through Self-Potential Development Model

A co-creation values consumers' input as its primary crust in informing businesses on current consumer needs. More importantly, it would be the next shape in future demands of consumers in business sustainability. This paper addressed this context, narrowing its scope in investigating the voices of stakeholders on what would be the essential aspects of the present and future youth qualities in achieving sustainable well-being in the present trend. The findings would be essentially helpful for the youth and the business world to understand the aspects of good youth development, which would shape the next fabric of consumerism. Self-potential development of the youth is vital in achieving excellent life quality and the youth's well-being in Malaysia. However, the increase in challenges faced by today's youth is inconsistent with a decline of the group's well-being. There are various studies and interventions implemented to overcome the youth situation. However, there is still in need for a model that can guide the holistic development of youth self-potential. The purpose of this study is to build a sustainable and comprehensive model of the self-potential development of the youth, which can be integrated with all of the self-potential indicators of the youth via a co-creation process. This study used the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) on the proposed elements in the development model and systematically analyzed them using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to create the development model. The method capitalized 10 stakeholders from various youth development backgrounds in developing the model. The model consists of 25 sub-indicators (SIs, elements) that are divided into five indicators. The model findings show that one of the most driving indicators is an entrepreneurial mindset among youth, followed by the other indicators of youth self-potential development. The model also shows that the civic-mindedness indicator is the output of youth self-potential that will surface at an end of the development. The model will guide the authorized body on the priority elements that can systematically and strategically improve youth self-potential to meet future challenges with youth aspirations.

The importance of awareness, acceptance, and alignment with the self: A framework for understanding self-connection

We provide a theoretical framework for what it means to be self-connected and propose that self-connection is an important potential contributor to a person’s well-being. We define self-connection as consisting of three components: 1) an awareness of oneself, 2) an acceptance of oneself based on this awareness, and 3) an alignment of one’s behavior with this awareness. First, we position the concept within the broader self literature and provide the empirical context for our proposed definition of self-connection. We next compare and contrast self-connection to related constructs, including mindfulness and authenticity. Following, we discuss some of the potential relationships between self-connection and various aspects of mental health and well-being. Finally, we provide initial recommendations for future research, including potential ways to promote self-connection. In all, we present this theory to provide researchers with a framework for understanding self-connection so that they can utilize this concept to better support the efforts of researchers and practitioners alike to increase individuals’ well-being in various contexts.

Experiential appreciation as a pathway to meaning in life

A key research program within the meaning in life (MIL) literature aims to identify the key contributors to MIL. The experience of existential mattering, purpose in life and a sense of coherence are currently posited as three primary contributors to MIL. However, it is unclear whether they encompass all information people consider when judging MIL. Based on the ideas of classic and contemporary MIL scholars, the current research examines whether valuing one's life experiences, or experiential appreciation, constitutes another unique contributor to MIL. Across seven studies, we find support for the idea that experiential appreciation uniquely predicts subjective judgements of MIL, even after accounting for the contribution of mattering, purpose and coherence to these types of evaluations. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that valuing one's experiences is uniquely tied to perceptions of meaning. Implications for the incorporation of experiential appreciation as a fundamental antecedent of MIL are discussed.

Meaning in Life and Pain: The Differential Effects of Coherence, Purpose, and Mattering on Pain Severity, Frequency, and the Development of Chronic Pain

Objective

Meaning in life is consistently associated with better health outcomes across a range of mental and physical domains. However, meaning in life is a complex construct involving three distinct facets: coherence, purpose, and mattering. While these facets have been studied individually in relation to pain, they have not been assessed concurrently to parse out their potential distinct contributions to pain outcomes. We sought to identify the unique relationships of these individual facets of meaning with pain experiences and specify the components associated with pain-related resilience.

Methods

The associations of coherence, purpose, and mattering with pain outcomes were examined across three studies. Study 1 used data from the Midlife in the United States National Survey to determine associations between facets and the frequency of various recently experienced pains, and the development of chronic pain nine years later. Study 2 cross-sectionally observed the association between facets and recent pain severity in young adults. Using a diary-type approach, Study 3 captured fluctuations of pain severity in relation to the facets across the span of four weeks.

Results

Coherence was uniquely associated with less headache, backache, joint, and extremities pain frequency in Study 1, over and above purpose and mattering, controlling for other health variables. Coherence was also associated with lower odds of developing chronic pain. In Study 2, coherence was associated with less pain severity and fully mediated the relationship between global meaning in life and pain. Study 3 found that coherence predicted the most unique variance in weekly pain fluctuations.

Conclusion

Across three studies and timescales, coherence was uniquely associated with fewer and less severe pain experiences over and above purpose and mattering. These findings provide support for the value of coherence as a resilience factor in the context of pain and suggest a potential benefit for coherence-specific interventions in clinical settings.

Dynamics of the ideal self

Purpose

The ideal self has had a place in management literature in recent years with reference to identity and role change. However, except for a JMD article in 2006, there has been little theorizing on the ideal self, which is often treated as a static construct. The purpose of this article is to update and refine the concept and explain the dynamic nature of the construct.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper is based on a review of the recent management and psychology literature related to the ideal self and its components.

Findings

The authors propose a dynamic theory of the emerging ideal self and delineate how its components evolve over time.

Research limitations/implications

The ideal self, or one's personal vision, is a major motivator of learning and change and the sustainability of such efforts. The time dynamic theory would encourage and guide longitudinal research using better variables and measures as well as help in conceptualizing the role of socialization, social identity and life/career stages.

Practical implications

With a better theory of the ideal self, trainers, consultants, coaches and teachers can help people update their deep sense of purpose and the sustaining driver of learning and change the ideal self. It could help people and organizations address a major determinant of engagement.

Originality/value

This theory offers a temporal understanding of how the ideal self can motivate learning and change at different life and career eras, which can help in designing future research on identity-related transitions.

From the Good Life to Good Living: A Longitudinal Study Investigating the Relationship Between Good-Life Coherence and Motivation, Goal Progress and Subjective Well-Being

Although considerable research has examined the traits and features involved in living a good life (Baumeister et al. in J Posit Psychol 8(6):505-516, 2013; Ryan et al. in Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness, Guilford Press, 2006; Wong in Can Psychol/Psychol Can 52(2):69-81, 2011), little research has examined personal philosophies of the good life and the motivational outcomes associated with these views. Through a prospective longitudinal study across one academic year, we examined whether perceiving oneself to be living coherently with personal conceptions of the good life was associated with greater autonomous goal motivation and, subsequently, goal progress and greater subjective well-being (SWB) over time. We hypothesize that perceiving oneself as living coherently in terms of one's own philosophy of flourishing relates to greater volition, goal progress and happiness. Our results suggest that when individuals assess themselves as following their own philosophy of the good life, they tend to experience greater autonomous motivation, goal progress and SWB. Implications for personality coherence and Self-Determination Theory are discussed.

Meaning in life as a mediator between interpersonal alienation and smartphone addiction in the context of Covid-19: A three-wave longitudinal study

In the context of the Covid-19, the present study designed a longitudinal study to examine the relationship among interpersonal alienation, meaning in life and smartphone addiction. Meanwhile, with the development of the epidemic whether there would be changes in the three variables was also examined. A sample of 579 university students (baseline mean age = 20.59, SD = 2.20) finished the anonymous questionnaires about interpersonal alienation, meaning in life and smartphone addiction. Three repeated measurements were obtained in June, September and December 2020. The finding indicated that university students’ interpersonal alienation and meaning in life significantly increased, and the risk of smartphone addiction significantly decreased with the epidemic under control. Besides, meaning in life in the middle mitigating period of the epidemic mediated the relationship between interpersonal alienation in the early severe period of the epidemic and smartphone addiction in the basic end period of the epidemic. The study contributes to our understanding of how low levels of interpersonal alienation may improve meaning in life and reduce the risk of smartphone addiction. What’ s more, it provides scientific suggestions for the prevention and intervention of the adverse effects during public health emergencies.

A Conservation of Resources schema for exploring the influential forces for air-travel stress

Effective air-travel stress management is increasingly crucial in determining tourist satisfaction and travel choices, particularly in a time of intensive fear about virus, terrorism, and plane crashes. However, research about air-travel stress, particularly what and how various influential forces shape passenger stress levels, is still in its infancy. The current research proposes the adoption of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory as a holistic schema to identify through resource dynamics the potential influential forces for air-travel stress across leisure travel stages. The findings, based on surveying passengers at the gate of multi-country international and domestic airports, demonstrates the capability of COR schema to predict and explain the influences on air-travel stress from an array of personal and situational/trip-specific factors. The theoretical advances from COR-based cross-stage stress analyses, and the guidance for customized airline/airport stress-soothing service strategies are discussed.

The Meaning of Temporal Balance: Does Meaning in Life Mediate the Relationship Between a Balanced Time Perspective and Mental Health?

The construct of a Balanced Time Perspective (BTP) predicts a variety of indices of mental health and well-being. We argue that one possible intermediate link between BTP and well-being may be an individual’s sense of presence of meaning in life. Participants ranging in age from 19 to 88 years (N = 192) completed two measures of time perspective (Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory [ZTPI] and the modified Balanced Time Perspective Scale [mBTPS]), mental health, personality, and meaning in life. Correlational results showed that a BTP, mental health, and meaning in life were positively interrelated. Hierarchical regression models showed that a BTP (as measured with the mBTPS) explained additional variance in mental health beyond demographic, personality, and ZTPI scores. Mediation analyses showed that meaning served as a significant indirect link between BTP and well-being.

The Impact of Rejection Sensitivity on Self-Disclosure Within the Context of Online Dating

Prior research suggests that rejection sensitive individuals may find it easier to express their true selves in an online environment. The purpose of the present study was to examine the extent to which rejection sensitivity (RS) and true self influence self-disclosure within the context of online dating. We collected data from a total of 1,295 individuals who completed an online survey. For those who engaged in online dating, RS was not directly related to self-disclosure in online dating profiles or in communicating with individuals met through online dating sites/apps, but true self was. In addition, there was an indirect relationship between RS and self-disclosure in the context of online dating through true self. These findings suggest that rejection sensitive individuals who feel more comfortable revealing aspects of their "true" selves online may be more likely to engage in self-disclosure within the context of online dating, which could potentially offer some clue as to why rejection sensitive individuals may be somewhat more likely to engage in online dating than less rejection sensitive individuals. That is, rejection sensitive individuals are perhaps more likely to engage in online dating because it may facilitate representation of their "true" selves and may thus increase dating success.

Meaningful living, resilience, affective balance, and psychological health problems among Turkish young adults during coronavirus pandemic

The present study sought to investigate the mediating effect of the affective balance and resilience on the association between meaningful living and psychological health problems among Turkish young adults in the context of COVID-19. The participants were 359 Turkish young adults, comprising of primarily female (68.2%), and their age ranged between 18 to 43 (age M = 20.67, SD = 3.62). Findings from this study indicated that meaningful living had a positive predictive effect on resilience and positive affect, as well as a negative predicative on psychological health challenges and negative affect. Resilience and affective balance also mediated the effect of meaningful living on psychological health of young adults. These results suggest that resilience and affective balance are important aspects of meaning-focused preventions and interventions designed to build up resilience, positive affectivity, and psychological health.

Intuitive Judgments in Depression and the Role of Processing Fluency and Positive Valence: A Preregistered Replication Study

Background

Recent preliminary evidence indicates that depression is associated with impaired intuitive information processing. The current study aimed at replicating these findings and to move one step further by exploring whether factors known as triggering intuition (positivity, processing fluency) also affect intuition in patients with depression.

Method

We pre-registered and tested five hypotheses using data from 35 patients with depression and 35 healthy controls who performed three versions of the Judgment of Semantic Coherence Task (JSCT, Bowers et al., 1990). This task operationalizes intuition as the inexplicable and sudden detection of semantic coherence.

Results

Results revealed that depressed patients and healthy controls did not differ in their general intuitive performance (Hypothesis 1). We further found that fluency did not significantly affect depressed patients' coherence judgments (H2a) and that the assumed effect of fluency on coherence judgments was not moderated by depression (H2b). Finally, we found that triads positive in valence were more likely to be judged as coherent as compared to negative word triads in the depressed sample (H3a), but this influence of positive (vs. negative) valence on coherence judgments did not significantly differ between the two groups (H3b).

Conclusion

Overall the current study did not replicate findings from previous research regarding intuitive semantic coherence detection deficits in depression. However, our findings suggest that enhancing positivity in depressed patients may facilitate their ability to see meaning in their environment and to take intuitive decision.

The Science of Meaning in Life

Meaning in life has long been a mystery of human existence. In this review, we seek to demystify this construct. Focusing on the subjective experience of meaning in life, we review how it has been measured and briefly describe its correlates. Then we review evidence that meaning in life, for all its mystery, is a rather commonplace experience. We then define the construct and review its constituent facets: comprehension/coherence, purpose, and existential mattering/significance. We review the many experiences that have been shown to enhance meaning in life and close by considering important remaining research questions about this fascinating topic.

Psychological and Behavioral Correlates of Readiness to Stop Smoking

Accruing evidence strongly suggests that the motivation to give up smoking is a crucial predictor of tobacco cessation attempt. However, even motivated people often fail in their attempts and relapse is very common, even if most people who smoke are confident that the desire to quit is enough to change and maintain abstinence. According to this framework, the main objective of the current study was to identify psychological and lifestyle patterns that might characterize people who smoke cigarettes with different motivations to quit. A secondary aim was to compare the characteristics of people who are currently smoking with people who stopped or never smoked. A convenient sample of 360 volunteers (179 women, 181 men), with a mean age of 55 years (SD = 14.33), participated in this study. Participants completed a battery of psychological and behavioral scales aimed at assessing psychological characteristics as well as dependence level and readiness to stop. Our results strongly suggest that the behavior of people who smoke differs as a function of specific psychological variables. People who currently smoke may fall into two different clusters: In the first one, they have a healthy lifestyle and high self-perceived vitality and vigor, whereas those who fall in the second report lower psychological well-being and an unhealthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, the actual lifestyle does not seem to modulate the motivation to quit, and consequently, people keep on smoking anyway, although some participants tend to adopt compensative behaviors. However, the adoption of a healthier lifestyle might favor a successful cessation attempt once a ready-to-stop motivation level is achieved.

STIMULANT MEDICATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH ENHANCING, RATHER THAN UNDERMINING, PERCEPTIONS OF THE TRUE ACADEMIC SELF

Introduction: Stimulant medication is effective in treating Attention Deficit Hyper-activity Disorder, and by removing barriers to success, may enhance perceptions of authenticity (i.e., feeling like one's true, core, autonomous self) among those receiving medication. In contrast, it is also possible that stimulant medications undermine perceptions of authenticity.

Methods: To examine these two possibilities, 64 undergraduate students with a history of ADHD and medication usage wrote a narrative about a time when they felt either: least authentic while taking medication, most authentic while taking medication, least authentic while unmedicated, or most authentic while unmedicated. Participants then completed retrospective assessments concerning that experience.

Results: Supporting the medication enhancement possibility, participants reported greater need satisfaction and more positive mood states when recalling states in which they were most like their true selves on medication than when off—especially when reporting on their academic selves. No differences were found on a state measure of prescriptive authenticity.

Discussion: Results are discussed with respect to linkages to the literature on attributions and stimulant medications. Limitations and future research design possibilities are discussed as more research is needed regarding managing stimulant medication and authentic identities.

The Role of Perceived Authenticity in Psychological Recovery from Collective Trauma

Introduction: Previous research demonstrates that perceived authenticity is positively associated with psychological health and security in the face of threats. The current research extends this work by testing whether perceived authenticity promotes recovery from the negative mental health consequences of collective trauma (e.g., a natural disaster).

Methods: We recruited a sample of undergraduates (N = 570), many of whom reported direct or indirect exposure to Hurricane Harvey, to complete surveys at two time points. We assessed exposure to the disaster, acute stress, post-traumatic stress, coping, and authenticity twice, once approximately 1 month after Hurricane Harvey (Time 1) and again approximately 9 weeks after Hurricane Harvey (Time 2).

Results: We employed multilevel modelling to explore whether authenticity would aid in recovery from collective trauma. Results showed that perceived authentic living at Time 1 predicted a variety of indicators of stress related to the hurricane at Time 2. Specifically, those participants who reported low authentic living at Time 1 reported greater levels of stress at Time 2, compared to individuals who reported higher levels of authentic living. Importantly, these effects remained even when controlling for known predictors of stress (e.g., levels of stress at Time 1 and coping strategies).

Discussion: Findings provide preliminary insight into authenticity as a part of a likely larger network of interrelated psychosocial qualities that have the potential to help one navigate recovery from trauma.

Stuck in an Existential Quagmire: The Role of Perceived True Self-Knowledge in Client Stuckness

Introduction: Research suggests that perceived true self-knowledge is important for well-being. However, less discussion exists about how perceived true self-knowledge affects therapy outcomes. We suggest that perceived true self-knowledge may be important when attempting to address client stuckness (i.e., lack of progress in therapy; Beaudoin, 2008). We argue that when clients perceive a lack of true self-knowledge, they are unable to draw upon the true self-concept as a source of meaning. This may hinder therapeutic progress and contribute to client stuckness.

Methods: We present theoretical evidence for the role of perceived true self-knowledge in experiences of stuckness. Then, we present case studies of two stuck clients and their therapeutic interventions as preliminary evidence for our model.

Results: Direct strategies geared at enhancing true self-knowledge by helping the client construct coherent self-concepts worked for one client, but not for the other. Indirect strategies, grounded in social psychological research, are outlined as a method of enhancing perceptions of true self-knowledge for clients who do not benefit from direct strategies.

Discussion: Potential moderators for the effectiveness of direct versus indirect strategies to enhance true self-knowledge are discussed. We then outline promising avenues for future research that include attempts to investigate the prevalence of self-alienation in clinical populations, and the effectiveness of strategies aimed at enhancing perceived true self-knowledge among clients experiencing stuckness.

Situational Factors Influencing Receptivity to Bullshit

Individuals are motivated to maintain a sense of meaning, and enact cognitive processes to do so (e.g., perceiving structure in the environment). This motivation to find meaning may ultimately impact humans’ interpretation of "bullshit", statements intended to convey profundity without any meaning. Conversely, subtle cues threatening the meaningfulness of bullshit may elicit greater skepticism. Three studies tested situational factors predicted to heighten or diminish susceptibility to bullshit by changing motivations to seek meaning. We employed diverse methods including symbolic meaning threat (Study 1), social exclusion (Cyberball; Study 2), and manipulating cognitive fluency (Study 3). Taken together, the results indicate basic processes shaping the detection of meaning have implications for the appraisal of ambiguously insightful information.

The Authentic Moral Self: Dynamic Interplay between Perceived Authenticity and Moral Behaviors in the Workplace

Authentic experiences are deeply tied to human existential concerns and have implications for psychological well-being and optimal functioning. Importantly, previous studies suggest a mutually reinforcing relationship between authenticity and moral behaviors. The current research aims to extend this line of research to work-specific contexts. We found, among two U.S. samples that (a) perceiving oneself as having behaved morally prompted feelings of authenticity at work (Study 1), (b) people who tried to be authentic (vs. be realistic or rational) were less willing to engage in immoral behaviors at workplace (Study 2), and among a Chinese sample that (c) daily fluctuations in morality and authenticity covaried with each other, both contributing positively to job satisfaction and meaning in work (Study 3). Together, the findings demonstrate a bidirectional relationship between moral behaviors and authenticity in the workplace.

A Moderated Mediation Model of Self-Concept Clarity, Transformational Leadership, Perceived Work Meaningfulness, and Work Motivation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of self-concept clarity in predicting employees’ perceived work meaningfulness. We proposed a moderated mediation model in which perceived work meaningfulness could mediate the relationship between self-concept clarity and work motivation, and transformation leadership could moderate this mediating relationship. We tested our hypotheses using data collected from 488 employees in various companies. Results showed that individual differences in self-concept clarity were positively related to perceived work meaningfulness, and perceived work meaningfulness mediated the relationship between self-concept clarity and work motivation. Furthermore, the strength of indirect relationship between self-concept clarity and work motivation via perceptions of work meaningfulness was stronger when transformational leadership was low than when it was high. Implications of our findings along with limitations of this study and directions for future research are also discussed.

Authenticity and inauthenticity in narrative identity

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.

Deeply Confusing: Conflating Difficulty With Deep Revelation on Personality Assessment

The factors that contribute to lay expectations of personality assessments are not well understood. Five studies demonstrate that people conflate difficulty of personality assessment items with revelations of deep insights. As a result, popular yet invalid assessments of personality can be seen as “deeper” than assessments from social and personality psychology. In Study 1, participants evaluated items from a popular personality “type” assessment as more difficult and better at revealing deep insights into personality than Big-Five personality inventory items. Studies 2 and 3 replicate this effect experimentally using a manipulation of assessment items’ difficulty. Studies 4 and 5 show that the same effect also holds for a less direct method of supposed personality assessment (e.g., assessments that ask about which colors are associated with trivial concepts). Moderating factors and the popularity of shoddy personality assessments are discussed.

The Enigma of Being Yourself: A Critical Examination of the Concept of Authenticity

As the term is typically used, authenticity refers to the degree to which a particular behavior is congruent with a person’s attitudes, beliefs, values, motives, and other dispositions. However, researchers disagree regarding the best way to conceptualize and measure authenticity, whether being authentic is always desirable, why people are motivated to be authentic, and the nature of the relationship between authenticity and psychological well-being. In this article, we examine existing views of authenticity, identify questionable assumptions about the concept of authenticity, and discuss issues regarding subjective feelings of inauthenticity, the implications of authenticity for psychological and social well-being, and the importance that people place on being authentic.