Happy To Be “Me?” Authenticity, Psychological Need Satisfaction, and Subjective Well-Being in Adolescence

Abstract

Abstract Adolescents have a strong desire to “be themselves.” How does experiencing authenticity—the sense of being one's true self—influence subjective well-being? What allows adolescents to experience authenticity? This research tests a working model of how authenticity is implicated in adolescents’ well-being. Using survey, diary, and experimental methodologies, four studies (total N = 759, age range = 12–17) supported the main tenets of the model. Authenticity (a) enhances well-being, (b) covaries with satisfaction of psychological needs for relatedness and competence; is caused by satisfaction of the need for autonomy; and (c) mediates the link between need satisfaction and well-being. Authenticity is more than a powerful motive: It has robust, replicable effects on well-being and may thus be a pervasive force in positive youth development. The title for this Special Section is Positive Youth Development in Diverse and Global Contexts, edited by Emilie Phillips Smith, Anne C. Petersen, and Patrick Leman