Demystifying authenticity: Behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of self-positivity for authentic and presented selves
Authenticity has captivated scholars. But what is it? An emerging view considers it exaggerated favorability (self-enhancement), whereas traditional views regard it as self-accuracy and self-consistency. We tested these theoretical views by contrasting the authentic self with the presented self, a h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | NeuroImage |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925000485 |
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| author | Chengli Huang Constantine Sedikides Douglas J. Angus William E. Davis James W. Butterworth Alexiss Jeffers Rebecca Schlegel Nicholas J. Kelley |
| author_facet | Chengli Huang Constantine Sedikides Douglas J. Angus William E. Davis James W. Butterworth Alexiss Jeffers Rebecca Schlegel Nicholas J. Kelley |
| author_sort | Chengli Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Authenticity has captivated scholars. But what is it? An emerging view considers it exaggerated favorability (self-enhancement), whereas traditional views regard it as self-accuracy and self-consistency. We tested these theoretical views by contrasting the authentic self with the presented self, a highly desirable representation. Behaviorally, participants ascribed less positivity to the authentic self: They endorsed more negative traits and were faster to admit having them; also, they endorsed fewer positive traits and were slower to admit having them. Neurally, participants manifested preferential processing of threatening information (P1), followed by preferential processing of favorable information (N170), about the presented self (than authentic self), indicating its brittleness. At a later stage (LPP), participants engaged in more elaborate processing of threatening and favorable information about the authentic self, indicating its subjective importance. Authenticity, albeit mostly positive, allows room for negativity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-49f5381be8994d39bcd3387f6bba81cc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1095-9572 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage |
| spelling | doaj-art-49f5381be8994d39bcd3387f6bba81cc2025-02-06T05:11:09ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722025-02-01307121046Demystifying authenticity: Behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of self-positivity for authentic and presented selvesChengli Huang0Constantine Sedikides1Douglas J. Angus2William E. Davis3James W. Butterworth4Alexiss Jeffers5Rebecca Schlegel6Nicholas J. Kelley7Center for Research on Self and Identity, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UKCenter for Research on Self and Identity, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UKSchool of Psychology, Bond University, AustraliaDepartment of Psychology, Wittenberg University, USACenter for Research on Self and Identity, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UKDepartment of Management, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University, USADepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, USACenter for Research on Self and Identity, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK; Corresponding author.Authenticity has captivated scholars. But what is it? An emerging view considers it exaggerated favorability (self-enhancement), whereas traditional views regard it as self-accuracy and self-consistency. We tested these theoretical views by contrasting the authentic self with the presented self, a highly desirable representation. Behaviorally, participants ascribed less positivity to the authentic self: They endorsed more negative traits and were faster to admit having them; also, they endorsed fewer positive traits and were slower to admit having them. Neurally, participants manifested preferential processing of threatening information (P1), followed by preferential processing of favorable information (N170), about the presented self (than authentic self), indicating its brittleness. At a later stage (LPP), participants engaged in more elaborate processing of threatening and favorable information about the authentic self, indicating its subjective importance. Authenticity, albeit mostly positive, allows room for negativity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925000485AuthenticityAuthentic selfPresented selfSelf-reference valence taskNeuroscience of authenticity |
| spellingShingle | Chengli Huang Constantine Sedikides Douglas J. Angus William E. Davis James W. Butterworth Alexiss Jeffers Rebecca Schlegel Nicholas J. Kelley Demystifying authenticity: Behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of self-positivity for authentic and presented selves NeuroImage Authenticity Authentic self Presented self Self-reference valence task Neuroscience of authenticity |
| title | Demystifying authenticity: Behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of self-positivity for authentic and presented selves |
| title_full | Demystifying authenticity: Behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of self-positivity for authentic and presented selves |
| title_fullStr | Demystifying authenticity: Behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of self-positivity for authentic and presented selves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Demystifying authenticity: Behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of self-positivity for authentic and presented selves |
| title_short | Demystifying authenticity: Behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of self-positivity for authentic and presented selves |
| title_sort | demystifying authenticity behavioral and neurophysiological signatures of self positivity for authentic and presented selves |
| topic | Authenticity Authentic self Presented self Self-reference valence task Neuroscience of authenticity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811925000485 |
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