Authenticity, Selfesteem, and Verbal Defensiveness

1
Authenticity, Self-esteem, and Verbal
Defensiveness

• Michael H. Kernis, Brian M. Goldman
• Chad E. Lakey
• University of Georgia Clayton State
  University
• Presented at the Self-Preconference for the
  Society of Personality and Social Psychology
  (2006)

2
Talk Overview

• Dispositional authenticity A multi-component
  conceptualization
• Individual difference measure
• Healthy psychological functioning
• Authenticity, self-esteem, and verbal
  defensiveness

3
Dispositional Authenticity

• The unimpeded operation of ones core or true
  self in ones daily enterprise
• Four Components
• Awareness
• Unbiased Processing
• Behavior
• Relational Orientation

4
Awareness

• Awareness of, and trust in, ones motives,
  feelings, desires, and self-relevant cognitions
• Includes awareness of ones strengths and
  weaknesses, figure-ground personality aspects,
  and emotions

5
Awareness Items

• For better or for worse I am aware of who I truly
  am
• I am not in touch with my deepest thoughts and
  feelings (reversed)
• I have a very good understanding of why I do the
  things I do
• I frequently am not in touch with whats
  important to me (reversed)

6
Unbiased Processing

• Objectivity in processing information related to
  positive and negative self-aspects, attributes,
  and qualities
• NOT denying, distorting, or ignoring
• positive or negative self-relevant information

7
Unbiased Processing Items

• I am very uncomfortable objectively considering
  my limitations and shortcoming (r)
• I often deny the validity of any compliments that
  I receive (r)
• I find it very difficult to critically assess
  myself (r)

8
Behavior

• Acting in accord with ones values, preferences,
  and needs as opposed to merely acting to please
  others or attain rewards or avoid punishments
• Free and natural expression of ones core
  feelings, motives, and inclinations
• Sensitivity to the fit between ones core self
  and dictates of the environment

9
Behavior Items

• I frequently pretend to enjoy something when in
  actuality I really don't (r)
• I find it easy to pretend to be something other
  than my true self (r)
• I am willing to change myself for others if the
  reward is desirable enough (r)

10
Relational Orientation

• Value and achieve openness and truthfulness in
  ones close relationships
• Important for close others to see the real you,
  good and bad
• Being genuine and not fake in ones
  relationships with close others

11
Relational Items

• If asked, people I am close to can accurately
  describe what kind of person I am
• People close to me would be shocked or surprised
  if they discovered what I keep inside me (r)
• My openness and honesty in close relationships
  are extremely important to me

12
Intercorrelations Among Authenticity Subscales

• AW UP
  BE RO
• Awareness ---
  
• Unb Process .47 ---
  
• Behavior .51 .44 ---
  
• Relational .63 .48 .55
  ---
• All ps lt .01

13
Internal and Test-Retest Reliability

• Alpha
  Test-retest
• Total .90
  .87
• Awareness .79 .80
• Unb Proc .64 .69
• Behavior .80
  .73
• Relational .78
  .80
• 
  approx 4 weeks

14
Research Findings

• General Well-Being
• Verbal Defensiveness
• Relations with Self-esteem Level, Stability, and
  Contingency
• Fragile vs Secure High Self-esteem and Verbal
  Defensiveness

15
Authenticity and Well-being

• Subjective Well-Being
  Authenticity
• Life Satisfaction
  .32
• Positive Affect
  .40
• Negative Affect
  -.24
• Psychological Well-Being (Ryff)
• Autonomy
  .53
• Environmental Mastery
  .40
• Personal Growth
  .41
• Positive Relationships
  .37
• Purpose/Meaning in Life
  .33
• Self-Acceptance
  .31
• p lt .05
  p lt .01

16
Authenticity and Well-Being

• Self-Actualization .61
• Vitality .23
  
• Psychological Stress -.30
• Self-concept Clarity .68
• S-Concept Differentiation -.32
• p lt .05 p lt .01

17
Defense Mechanisms

• can be thought of as motivated
  cognitive-behavioral strategies that protect the
  self from perceived threat, maintain or augment
  self-esteem, reduce negative affect (Feldman
  Barrett et al., 1996)
• reduce the perception of threat by altering how
  people represent these events in conscious
  thought

18
Defensive Verbal Behaviors

• Feldman Barrett et al. (2002) created the
  Defensive Verbal Behavior Assessment (DVBA) to
  assess individual differences in self-protective
  defensiveness
• Defensiveness is gauged through a standardized
  stressful interview regarding ones past
  experiences (e.g., Tell me about a time when
  youve had hateful feelings toward a loved one)

19
Defensive Verbal Behavior Assessment (Feldman
Barrett et al)

• 40-60 Minute Structured Interview
• 5 Non-stressful Items
• 15 Mildly to Moderately Stressful Items
• Tell me about a time when you felt that your
  parents were really disappointed in you.
• Tell me about a time when youve broken the
  rules.
• Tell me about a time when you have done something
  unethical on an assignment.

20
DVBA Scoring

• Coders incorporate two aspects of defensiveness
  awareness and distortion
• Awareness conscious understanding and acceptance
  of ones cognitions, emotions, and behaviors in
  the face of threat
• Distortion reinterpretation of events through
  rationalization or justification

21
DVBA Scoring (cont.)

• Non-defensive - high awareness and low distortion
• Mildly defensive - moderate awareness with mild
  distortion
• Moderately defensive - limited awareness and
  moderate distortion
• Highly defensive - high unawareness and high
  distortion of information

22
Nondefensive 0

• I Tell me about a time when youve broken the
  rules.
• P In third grade, my teacher told us that we
  had to be nice to this guy. He wasnt an
  exchange student, but he came from a place where
  the people dont speak English very well. So she
  told us we were all supposed to be nice to him,
  and I tried to, but he started to get on my
  nerves very bad. So I shoved him, and got into
  trouble. She called me out in front of the whole
  class.
• I And how did you feel about doing that and
  breaking her rule.
• P I felt horrible. Both because I hurt this
  guys feelings and I got called out. I was mean,
  and I didnt like that. I try not to be mean.

23
Highly Defensive 3

• I Tell me about a time when youve broken the
  rules?
• P The rules (laughs)! What do you mean the
  rules?
• Interviewer Whatever you feel applied to you as
  the rules.
• P I guess in high school, I cheated on a couple
  of tests. I guess thats breaking the rules.
• I And how did you feel about cheating on a test
  and breaking the rules?
• P (Laugh) I felt good because I got a higher
  grade (laugh). I didnt feel bad.

24
Authenticity and Defense Mechanisms

• High Authenticity
• motivated to understand themselves, to experience
  affect as it is felt, and to not distort
  self-evaluative information
• Low Authenticity
• prone to distort self-relevant information and
  uncomfortable with negative self-aspects

25
Correlations between Authenticity and Verbal
Defensiveness

• 
  Defensiveness
• Total Authenticity -.25
• Awareness -.21
• Behavior -.28
• Unbiased Processing -.19a
• Relational Orientation -.10, ns
• Note a p lt .07, p lt.05, p lt .01

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Theoretical Implications

• Skeptics suggest that highly defensive people
  will falsely answer items on our authenticity
  inventory and appear to be authentic
• Of course I am authentic-are you trying to say I
  am a phony?!!
• Suggests that higher authenticity would relate to
  greater defensiveness

27
Theoretical Implications

• However, greater authenticity related to lower,
  not higher, defensiveness
• Awareness and Unbiased Processing
• Comfortable with unpleasant self-relevant thought
  and affect
• Behavioral Authenticity
• Choiceful behaviors even if violate self
• Accept behaviors implications

28
Defensiveness and Well-Being

• Greater verbal defensiveness relates to lower
  well-being
• Life Satisfaction -.25
• Total Ryff Score -.25

29
Authenticity and Self-esteem

• Complex because high self-esteem has multiple
  forms, some more closely related to psychological
  health and well-being than are others

30
Secure High SE

• Feel worthwhile and valuable
• Like and satisfied with oneself
• Accept ones weaknesses
• Has solid foundation
• DOES NOT require continual validation or promotion

31
Fragile SE

• Not securely anchored
• Requires continual validation
• Vulnerable to challenge
• Reject personal weaknesses
• Excessive self-protection and self-promotion

32
High SE Fragile vs Secure

• Stable SE minimal short-term fluctuations
• True SE arises naturally from satisfaction of
  basic psychological needs
• Congruent implicit and explicit SE

• Unstable SE substantial short-term fluctuations
• Contingent SE dependent upon achieving specific
  outcomes, matching standards
• Discrepant positive implicit and explicit SE

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Assessment

• Level Rosenberg SE Scale
• Stability Multiple assessments of current
  self-esteem compute SD
• Implicit SE Name letter effect degree of liking
  for 1st letter of first and last name relative to
  other letters
• Contingent SE 17 item scale tapping overall
  degree of contingency
• An important measure of my worth is how
  competently I perform

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Correlations between Authenticity and SE
Components

• Authenticity and SE
• Level .68
• Contingent -.58
• (In)Stability -.43
• ------------------------------
• Level .47
• Contingent -.34
• (In)Stability -.34
• __________________

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SE Level X Contingent SE Interaction
36
SE Level X SE Stability Interaction
37
SE Level X Implicit SE Interaction
38
Conclusions

• Dispositional authenticity is a broad,
  multifaceted construct
• Can be reliably and validly measured
• Pervasively related to well-being
• Reflects open and nondefensive stance toward
  behavior and experience
• Linked to secure forms of high SE