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

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.