Adolescent Males’ and Parents of Adolescent males’ Perceptions and experiences of being authentic.
type: CreativeWork
description: In recent years the well-being in male adolescents has been on the decline with males between the ages of 15-19 years being significantly more likely to take their lives than females (Samaritans, 2021). Male adolescents face a unique set of circumstances which could impact upon their well-being, including under-reporting poor mental health and denying emotional distress (Carlen et al., 2022; Courtenay, 2011). Carl Rogers (1961) believes a person is authentic when they dispose of their facades and become openly what they truly are. This suggests that to experience well-being adolescent males need to be authentic. However, judgemental conditions from parents and wider society, called conditions of worth, can prevent a person being authentic. When a person is authentic, they are thought to experience greater well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2000). In this study, the traditional Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was expanded to examine two distinct groups’ experiences and perceptions of authenticity. One group consisted of five male adolescents aged 16 to 19 years and the other consisted of four parents of male adolescents. Each participant was interviewed separately using semi-structured interviews and were encouraged to bring a photograph to the interview to represent what authenticity meant to them. An idiographic analysis was conducted of each participant’s experiences. Group Experiential Themes (GETs) were identified for adolescent males. These were: ‘It is good to be me’, ‘True self as judged by other’, ‘Future self as representing hope’ and ‘Revealing true self in safe ways’. Parents’ GETs were identified as: ‘It’s not positive to be outside the system’, ‘Self as lost or put to one side’, ‘Adapting self to fit in’, ‘Parental control and balancing aspirations’, ‘Being self is positive and necessary’ and ‘Self as evolving’. Convergences and divergences in the perceptions and experiences of authenticity between the two groups were examined and three Group Ex…
abstract: In recent years the well-being in male adolescents has been on the decline with males between the ages of 15-19 years being significantly more likely to take their lives than females (Samaritans, 2021). Male adolescents face a unique set of circumstances which could impact upon their well-being, including under-reporting poor mental health and denying emotional distress (Carlen et al., 2022; Courtenay, 2011). Carl Rogers (1961) believes a person is authentic when they dispose of their facades and become openly what they truly are. This suggests that to experience well-being adolescent males need to be authentic. However, judgemental conditions from parents and wider society, called conditions of worth, can prevent a person being authentic. When a person is authentic, they are thought to experience greater well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2000). In this study, the traditional Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was expanded to examine two distinct groups’ experiences and perceptions of authenticity. One group consisted of five male adolescents aged 16 to 19 years and the other consisted of four parents of male adolescents. Each participant was interviewed separately using semi-structured interviews and were encouraged to bring a photograph to the interview to represent what authenticity meant to them. An idiographic analysis was conducted of each participant’s experiences. Group Experiential Themes (GETs) were identified for adolescent males. These were: ‘It is good to be me’, ‘True self as judged by other’, ‘Future self as representing hope’ and ‘Revealing true self in safe ways’. Parents’ GETs were identified as: ‘It’s not positive to be outside the system’, ‘Self as lost or put to one side’, ‘Adapting self to fit in’, ‘Parental control and balancing aspirations’, ‘Being self is positive and necessary’ and ‘Self as evolving’. Convergences and divergences in the perceptions and experiences of authenticity between the two groups were examined and three Group Ex…
author: Brasher, Karen
language: eng
keywords: Authenticity, identity, self, male adolescent, parent
date published: 2025-3-25
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:26:59Z
provider: University of Northampton
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Northampton