Honesty starts from within: conceptualization and multimethod measurement of self-honesty as a core value

While the construct of self-deception has received ample theoretical and empirical attention, its virtuous counterpart—self-honesty—has been largely neglected. Yet, as argued here and elsewhere, the metacognitive practice of being honest with oneself may be among the most crucial concomitants of psychological growth and change. Consequently, drawing on theory and research from across several disciplines, this paper proposes a novel framework for understanding and measuring self-honesty as a core value. Using data from three separate studies that explore self-honesty via a newly developed self-report, implicit association test and an ecological momentary assessment measure, findings offer preliminary support for the construct of self-honesty as a distinct, psychometrically valid and reliable construct with relevance to multiple indices of psychological functioning. Pending further research, these findings have potentially far-reaching implications for our understanding and promotion of human virtue and flourishing.