1. Effects of Self-Monitoring on Perceived Authenticity in Dyads
Jessica Stetler, MS., Lauren H. Hernandez, BA., Willie J. Hale, Ph.D., Meghan A. Crabtree, MS.,
and David R. Pillow, Ph.D.
Introduction
Method
Results cont…
Self Monitoring
Self- monitoring refers to the extent to which individuals monitor and regulate their self-presentation across various interpersonal situations (Snyder, 1974).
Individuals high in self-monitoring are more likely to adjust their behavior to the situation. On the other hand, the behavior of individuals low in self- monitoring should reflect their inner attitudes or dispositions (Snyder & Gangestad, 2000).
Authenticity
Authenticity can be broadly described as the extent to which an individual knows and acts in accordance with their “true self”.
Hale, Pillow, and Hinojosa (2015) found an intrapersonal, inverse relation between self-monitoring and self-perceptions of authenticity; this effect was especially strong with respect to other-directness.
APIM
The Actor Partner Interdependence model (APIM) can be used in dyadic analysis in order to statistically test interdependence and bidirectional effects in interpersonal relationships (Kashy & Kenny, 1999).
Participants
104 same-sex indistinguishable dyads (61% female).
yrs old (M=22 yrs old, SD= 5.04).
Procedure:
Indistinguishable dyads completed measures in person on self-monitoring, authenticity, and perceptions of authenticity.
Materials:
Self Monitoring (SMS; Snyder and Gangestad, 1986)
SMS uses an 18- item True/False format to assess SM across: Acting, Extraversion, and Other- directedness.
Authenticity (Wood et al., 2008).
The total score for authenticity is calculated by averaging across all 12 items of the AS.
Perceptions of Authenticity (Wood et al., 2008)
Modified for participants to answer the statements with respect to a partner.
The overall self-monitoring actor effect was marginally significant, suggesting that high self-monitors, in comparison to low self-monitors, may have a tendency to perceive their acquaintances as lower in authenticity. This actor effect was statistically significant for the other-directedness subscale.
Neither actor or partner effects were obtained for the extraverted or acting subscales of self-monitoring. However, a significant partner effect was found with respect to other-directedness—indicating those high in the construct are perceived by others as less authentic (see Figure 1).
Note: Figure displays standardized coefficients. Means, intercepts and variances, and paths between dyad member ratings for self-monitoring and authenticity were simultaneously constrained to be equal, as is the norm for indistinguishable dyads (Kenny & Lefermann, 2010).
Results
Path analysis was used to test the actor-partner effects of target-rated self-monitoring on perceptions of partners’ authenticity as well as partner’s perceptions of target authenticity.
Other-directed, extraverted, acting and overall self-monitoring were analyzed in four separate path analyses using AMOS (See Table 1).
Purpose & Hypotheses
Discussion
Purpose: The present study examines whether the previously demonstrated negative relationship
between authenticity and self-monitoring extends to dyadic interactions to address how a target’s level of self-monitoring influences perceptions of that target’s authenticity.
H1:
Higher self-ratings of self-monitoring predict lower partner ratings of authenticity.
H2:
Individuals high in self-monitoring are predicted to be perceived as less authentic by their partners.
Conclusion: The results extend previous intrapersonal findings to the dyadic realm. Individuals high in the Other-directedness dimension of self-monitoring were unable to convince partners that they were authentic.
Future Directions: Future research should seek to evaluate the presence of this relationship across dyads varying in demographic, relationship, and personality factors.
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