Authenticity, presence of meaning, and struggle with ultimate meaning: Nuanced between-and within-person associations.

• Low levels of presence of meaning are distinct from struggles with ultimate meaning. • Trait authenticity related positively to trait presence of meaning. • Trait authenticity related negatively to trait struggles with ultimate meaning. • Daily authenticity related positively to daily presence of meaning. • Daily authenticity related negatively to daily struggles with ultimate meaning. Authenticity predicts greater presence of meaning in life, in general (between-persons) and in the moment (within-persons). However, little is known about whether authenticity predicts negative aspects of life meaning, such as struggles with ultimate meaning. Across three studies (total N = 719), two of which used daily diaries (daily reports = 1,980), correlations, confirmatory factor analyses, and multilevel path models together showed that higher levels of authenticity related positively to presence of meaning and negatively to struggle with ultimate meaning at the between- and within-person levels. These findings are consistent with humanistic, existential, and positive psychology theories of authenticity and meaning and raise the possibility that increasing authenticity states over time may predict sustained improvement in multiple aspects of meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]