State Authenticity

Abstract

State authenticity is the sense that one is currently in alignment with one’s true or real self. We discuss state authenticity as seen by independent raters, describe its phenomenology, outline its triggers, consider its well-being and behavioral implications, and sketch out a cross-disciplinary research agenda.

I am the chosen one: Narcissism in the backdrop of self‐determination theory

“…Examples of extrinsic goal content are image, materialism, and status. Intrinsic goal striving is associated with satisfaction of the basic needs, as it affords both self‐expression (e.g., authenticity; Sedikides, Slabu, Lenton, & Thomaes, ) and interpersonal or community connection. In contrast, extrinsic goal pursuit is associated with lack of satisfaction and may even lead to frustration of the basic needs if pursued vigorously (Ryan & Deci, ).…”

Do consumer choices augment narcissism? The role of self-referent processing

“…Whereas a trait refers to an individual's proclivity toward (or away from) a set of cognitions, emotions, or actions, a state is the actual and short-lived set of cognitions, emotions, or actions in a particular situation (Fleeson, 2001;Nezlek, 2007;Sedikides, Slabu, Lenton, & Thomaes, 2017). Narcissism can be conceptualized as a state.…”

Can you be yourself in business? How reminders of business affect the perceived value of authenticity

“…The findings contribute to the study of authenticity. Specifically, we added to antecedents of authenticity (Sedikides et al, , ) by examining whether a business context is perceived by a specific population, business students, as facilitating authenticity. Moreover, unlike prior research focusing on what makes people experience authenticity, we examined what makes people value authenticity.…”

“…The concept has been recently re‐vitalized. In the current research, we draw on a conceptualization of authenticity as the sense of being aligned with one's true or real self (Kernis & Goldman, ; Sedikides, Slabu, Lenton, & Thomaes, ). Our focus on subjective authenticity relies, in part, on the literature indicating that individuals believe there is a core “true self” that may or may not be reflected accurately in their behavior (Strohminger, Knobe, & Newman, ).…”

“…It is not known, however, to what extent people spontaneously associate the world of business with authenticity. A line of research has examined conditions under which individuals experience authenticity—both intrapersonal (e.g., positive mood, satisfaction of the need for autonomy, positivity of a recalled behavior) and interpersonal (e.g., acting out personality traits, expressing personal values, interacting with strangers on the Internet)—but these studies were concerned with state authenticity, that is, the experience of being one's true self in the here and now (Sedikides et al, , ), and not particularly in a business context. Other research has examined how specific types of business can come across as authentic, such as family business (Lude & Prügl, ), or business activities related to social engagement (van Rekom, Go, & Calter, ) and corporate social responsibility (Alhouti, Johnson, & Holloway, ; Mazutis & Slawinski, ; McShane & Cunningham, ).…”