Posting without the filter: Honest self-presentation, psychological outcomes, and travel satisfaction

Abstract

This study examines how honest self-presentation on social media during travel shapes travelers’ psychological experiences and travel satisfaction. Grounded in self-determination theory, a mixed-methods design was adopted with two studies. For study 1, interviews were conducted with 16 South Korean travelers who engaged in real-time, unfiltered sharing during travel to explore the meanings of honest self-presentation. The findings indicated that honest sharing is experienced as self-directed expression that fosters autonomy, elicits positive emotions, and supports a more coherent and personally meaningful evaluation of the trip. Building on these insights, survey data from 350 South Korean travelers who posted travel content in situ were collected for study 2. Results from PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling) analysis revealed that honest self-presentation significantly predicts autonomy, relatedness, and positive emotion, but has no direct effect on travel satisfaction. Instead, significant indirect effects on travel satisfaction were observed through autonomy and positive emotion, but not through relatedness. By centering the content creator’s perspective, this research clarifies the differentiated psychological pathways linking authentic forms of self-expression to evaluative outcomes. Future research could extend this process-based perspective by examining how honest self-presentation on social media during travel relates to travel satisfaction across different contexts.