Online authenticity

The present research proposes a two-component model of online authenticity and develops a corresponding scale — the Online Authenticity Scale (OAS). The first component refers to the experience of authenticity that arises when one's online self-presentation is consistent with core values, characterised by self-awareness, unbiased self-processing, behavioural ownership, and relational sincerity. The second component refers to authenticity experiences that emerge under conditions of online disinhibition — through the expression of previously suppressed content, including idealised or alternative personas, vulnerability, and dark or norm-violating impulses — and is not necessarily self-enhancing in nature. This project involves a series of studies aimed at: (a) generating and refining an initial item pool based on theoretical frameworks, prior scales, qualitative data, and expert consultation; (b) examining the latent factor structure of the OAS through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses; and (c) evaluating the scale's convergent, discriminant, predictive, and incremental validity, as well as measurement invariance across platform types. Participants will be adults with regular social media experience, recruited via an online survey platform (target N = 400 per study). The OAS will be administered alongside established measures of offline authenticity, self-presentation, self-esteem, well-being, dark personality traits, problematic internet use, and online aggression, among others.