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

Sander Thomaes; Constantine Sedikides; Nellie van den Bos; Roos Hutteman; Albert Reijntjes

doi:10.1111/cdev.12867

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

Sander Thomaes, Constantine Sedikides, Nellie van den Bos, Roos Hutteman, Albert Reijntjes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1045-1056
Number of pages	12
Journal	Child Development
Volume	88
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12867
Publication status	Published - Jul 2017

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author = "Sander Thomaes and Constantine Sedikides and {van den Bos}, Nellie and Roos Hutteman and Albert Reijntjes",

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AU - Hutteman, Roos

AU - Reijntjes, Albert

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

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