Abstract

The current study aimed to expand understanding of the associations between psychological needs, authenticity, and autonomous motivation in two domains relevant to post-secondary students: academics and friendships. Self-determination theory suggests that need satisfaction supports behaving consistently with one’s authentic values. While research shows need satisfaction as an antecedent to autonomous motivation, authenticity’s role in this relationship remains unexplored. We tested a conceptual model examining authenticity aspects (authentic living, self-alienation, accepting external influence) as mediators between need satisfaction and autonomous academic and friendship motivation, as well as the direct associations between variables. It was hypothesized that need satisfaction would relate positively to both types of motivation through authenticity aspects. Hypotheses were largely supported for friendship, but not for academics. Results suggest that living authentically plays a key role in explaining the relationship between need satisfaction and post-secondary students’ autonomous friendship motivation, but that these processes may differ in other life contexts.