Authenticity

Authenticity is a construct that encompasses a fundamental human drive to know and understand our sense of self, express that self in our lives, and validate it in our social interactions. Decades of psychological research have demonstrated the importance of authenticity, being robustly linked to subjective well-being, self-esteem, and relationship quality. Yet, much work remains to understand how authenticity can be accessed in daily life. We know surprisingly little about how authenticity intersects with complex social identities in an increasingly self-presentational world. What “self” is at the center of authenticity? Can we bring our whole selves to challenging social environments—and should we? How do we (mis)perceive the authentic self-expression of others? 

To begin to unpack these questions, the Authenticity Preconference will bring together a set of interdisciplinary scholars to discuss their relevant recent and in-progress research, spanning themes such as personality, essentialism, morality, social perception, culture, and DEI.

Preconference Organizer

Erica Bailey, [email protected], UC Berkeley

Our Submission Guide outlines all the information needed for submitting to a preconference. Please click here to download the submission guide from the SPSP Annual Convention page.