The relevance of big five trait content in behavior to subjective authenticity: do high levels of within-person behavioral variability undermine or enable authenticity achievement?
Individuals vary their behavior from moment to moment a great deal, often acting "out of character" for their traits. This article investigates the consequences for authenticity. We compared 2 hypotheses-trait consistency, that individuals feel most authentic when acting in a way consistent with their traits; and state-content significance, that some ways of acting feel more authentic because of their content and consequences, regardless of the actor's corresponding traits. Three studies using experience-sampling methodology in laboratory and natural settings, with participants ages 18-51, strongly supported the state-content significance hypothesis and did not support the trait-consistency hypothesis. Authenticity was consistently associated with acting highly extraverted, agreeable, conscientious, emotionally stable, and intellectual, regardless of the actor's traits. Discussion focuses on possible implications for within-person variability in behavior and for the nature of the self-concept.
Fleeson
William
W
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA. Fleesonw@wfu.edu
Wilt
Joshua
J
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002605:Character; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007439:Introversion, Psychological; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011936:Reality Testing; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult