To Thine Own Self Be True? An Exploration of Authenticity by Alexis T. Franzese Department of ...

334 Pages·2007·1.01 MB·English

To Thine Own Self Be True?

An Exploration of Authenticity

by

Alexis T. Franzese

Department of Sociology
Duke University

Date:__________________________

Approved:

_______________________________
Linda K. George, Supervisor

_______________________________
Lynn Smith-Lovin

_______________________________
Kenneth I. Spenner

_______________________________
Suzanne Shanahan

_______________________________
Timothy J. Strauman

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Doctor
of Philosophy in the Department of
Sociology in the Graduate School
of Duke University

2007
ABSTRACT

To Thine Own Self Be True?

An Exploration of Authenticity

by

Alexis T. Franzese

Department of Sociology
Duke University

Date:__________________________

Approved:

_______________________________
Linda K. George, Supervisor

_______________________________
Lynn Smith-Lovin

_______________________________
Kenneth I. Spenner

_______________________________
Suzanne Shanahan

_______________________________
Timothy J. Strauman

An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of
Sociology in the Graduate School of
Duke University

2007
Copyright by
Alexis T. Franzese
2007
ABSTRACT

To Thine Own Self Be True?
An Exploration of Authenticity
What does it mean to be authentic? Is authenticity an attribute of the
individual, or do certain environmental factors facilitate or inhibit the enactment of
the authentic self? This research proposes that authentic behavior is the subjective
perception that one is behaving in a way that is in accordance with his or her core
being. As such, sense of authenticity is considered an important component of the
self. I present a theoretical model of the relationship between authenticity and the
need for social approval. I analyze the reports of 194 survey respondents and
interview data from 21 interviews. These quantitative and qualitative analyses
suggest that individuals engage in authentic and inauthentic behavior for a variety of
reasons. Specifically, three different behavioral motivations have been identified: (1)
behavior motivated by pursuit of the greater social good or for purposes of social
cohesion, (2) behavior motivated by pursuit of instrumental gains, and (3) behavior
motivated by an internal standard of integrity. Demographic variables and
psychological variables were also found to be important determinants of authentic
behavior. Blacks reported lower need for social approval than whites, and
subsequently higher reports of authentic behavior. Self-esteem emerged in the
analyses as a powerful predictor of authentic behavior. In tandem, these results
suggest that it may not be one’s level of social power that determines his or her
ability to behave in ways deemed authentic, but rather one’s sense of freedom and
confidence in oneself.
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Table of Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................iv

List of Tables.............................................................................................................viii

List of Figures...............................................................................................................x

Acknowledgements and Dedication............................................................................xi

1. Introduction...............................................................................................................1

1.1 Background and Significance..............................................................................5

2. Theoretical Foundations..........................................................................................11

2.1 Philosophical Foundations................................................................................11

2.2 Psychological Foundations................................................................................18

2.3 Sociological Foundations..................................................................................29

2.4 The ‘True’ Self..................................................................................................47

2.5 Challenges to Traditional Theories (Modernity and Post-Modernism)............51

2.6 Philosophical, Psychological and Sociological Implications for a Theory of
Authenticity.............................................................................................................55

3. Review of Relevant Literature................................................................................56

3.1 Psychological Roots: Empirical Work..............................................................56

3.2 Sociological Roots: Empirical Work.................................................................71

4. Conceptual Model and Supporting Literature.........................................................81

4.1 Exploration of Authenticity and Association with Structural Factors..............81

4.2 Authenticity and Social Approval.....................................................................82

4.3 The Need for Social Approval..........................................................................83

4.4 Models...............................................................................................................83
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4.5 Social Stratification as Determinant..................................................................86

4.6 Formal Hypotheses............................................................................................87

4.7 Issues Addressed with Qualitative Data..........................................................108

4.8 Contributions...................................................................................................108

5. Design and Methods..............................................................................................110

5.1 Sample.............................................................................................................111

5.2 Measures..........................................................................................................117

5.3 Descriptive Statistics.......................................................................................125

5.4 Methods of Analysis........................................................................................131

6. Quantitative Results..............................................................................................135

6.1 Quantitative Assessment of Formal Hypotheses.............................................135

6.2 Need for Social Approval and Authentic Behavior Summary Scales.............142

6.3 Other Considerations.......................................................................................147

6.4 Authenticity Subscales....................................................................................150

6.5 Interactions......................................................................................................157

6.6 Post-Hoc Analyses..........................................................................................160

6.7 Overall Patterns...............................................................................................172

7. Qualitative Results................................................................................................178

7.1 Analysis of Qualitative Data...........................................................................178

7.2 Themes............................................................................................................253

8. Discussion and Conclusions..................................................................................260

8.1 Overall Trends.................................................................................................261

vi
8.2 Trends of Post-Hoc Analyses..........................................................................275

8.3 Implications of this Research..........................................................................278

8.4 Limitations......................................................................................................281

8.5 Future Research and Concluding Remarks.....................................................283

Appendices................................................................................................................289

Appendix A: Demographic Questionnaire...........................................................289

Appendix B: Authenticity Inventory.....................................................................296

Appendix C: NSA Instrument...............................................................................298

Appendix D: Awareness Scale..............................................................................299

Appendix E: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale..........................................................300

References.................................................................................................................301

Biography..................................................................................................................320
vii
List of Tables
Table 5.1 Power Estimates for Proposed Regression Models...................................113

Table 5.2 Interview Sample (N=21)..........................................................................116

Table 5.3 Measurement of Questionnaire Data.........................................................121

Table 5.4 Descriptive Statistics for Study Participants (N=194)..............................128

Table 5.5 Description of Study Participants According to Ethnicity, Age, and Gender,
(N=194).....................................................................................................................129

Table 5.6 Descriptive Statistics for Interview Participants (N=21)..........................130

Table 6.1 Control, Predictor, and Outcome Variables: Correlations (N=194)..........138

Table 6.2 Correlations between Authenticity Subscales and NSA (N=194)............141

Table 6.3 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Predicting Need for Social
Approval (N=194) ....................................................................................................143

Table 6.4 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Predicting Authentic Behavior
(N=194).....................................................................................................................146

Table 6.5 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Predicting Congeniality
Subscale Scores (N=194)..........................................................................................152

Table 6.6 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Predicting Self-Gain Subscale
Scores (N=194).........................................................................................................154

Table 6.7 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Predicting Integrity Subscale
Scores (N=194)..........................................................................................................156

Table 6.8 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Retirement Status Predicting
Authentic Behavior (N=193) ....................................................................................163

Table 6.9 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Religious Participation
Predicting Need for Social Approval (N=192)..........................................................167

Table 6.10 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Religious Participation
Predicting Authentic Behavior (N=192)...................................................................168

viii
Table 6.11 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Religious Participation
Predicting Congeniality Subscale Scores (N=192)...................................................169

Table 6.12 Unstandardized Regression Coefficients for Religious Participation
Predicting Integrity Subscale Scores (N=192)..........................................................170

Table 6.13, Summary of Findings (N=194)..............................................................177

ix
List of Figures
Figure 4.1 Need for Social Approval and Behavior...................................................84

Figure 4.2 Structural Determinants of Need for Social Approval and Authentic
Behavior......................................................................................................................85

Figure 8.1 Determinants of Authentic Behavior.......................................................276
x