UC Riverside

Over the last decade, the social psychological study of authenticity, or the idea of “feeling like ourselves” has seen a resurgence. This research aims to advance understanding about authenticity by examining the internal, external, proximal, and distal factors that influence one’s understanding of their true self. Using a sample of 470 emerging adults, this cross-sectional study examines how the external, distal factor of parental socialization and the internal, proximal factors of identity processes and self-esteem affect individuals’ overall feelings of authenticity. This analysis shifts the conversation on authenticity away from definitional debates and into territory more concrete and applicable. I find that a flexible parenting style is best for encouraging the development of the true self in children, that identity verification plays a key role in authenticity during emerging adulthood, and that higher self-esteem is related to greater feelings of authenticity overall. This work contributes to existing authenticity scholarship by providing a better understanding of the self and identity processes that shape authenticity throughout a person’s life.