Authenticity with authority figures and peers: Girls’ friendships, self-esteem, and depressive symptomatology

Abstract

The current study examined authenticity in relationships as a predictor of quality of friendship and psychological well-being in an ethnically diverse sample (N = 108) of 14-year-old girls. Using structural equation modeling, and examining authenticity in relationships in multiple contexts, authenticity in relationships predicted the quality of friendships and psychological well-being (self-esteem and depressive symptomatology). Approval and emotional social support from family members moderated the relationship between authenticity in relationships with authority figures and depressive symptomatology. Specifically, at low levels of authenticity, those with greater social support from family members had fewer depressive symptoms than those with lower levels of social support. This study’s results contribute to an understanding of authenticity in relationships from a relational and contextual perspective.