The impostor phenomenon (IP) refers to a feeling of intellectual inadequacy which is especially prevalent in university contexts and leads to high attrition rates (Parkman & Beard, 2009), depression (McGregor, Gee, & Posey, 2008), and anxiety (Fraenza, 2016) among students. The impostor phenomenon is negatively related to career development, as sufferers may fail to plan for their careers or to create appropriate strategies to reach their goals (Neureiter & Traut-Mattausch, 2016). The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether participants enrolled in a university course which is dominated by the opposite gender are more likely to experience the impostor phenomenon. This study specifically looked at engineering and nursing undergraduate students. The objectives of this study included exploring the relationship between the impostor phenomenon and self-efficacy, as well as exploring the occurrence thereof among participants in either traditional or non-traditional university courses. This quantitative study (N = 214) made use of a factorial design and data were collected through the use of the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance, 1985) and the Career-Decision Self-Efficacy Scale, short form (Betz, Klein, & Taylor, 1996). Results indicated that, as expected, women who are enrolled in male-dominated engineering courses do score higher on the Impostor Phenomenon Scale than both men and women in traditional courses. However, this study did not find differences in the level of career-decisions self-efficacy between the male and female samples, regardless of the gender composition of their specific courses. The researcher postulates that this may be due to the sheer determination of the women in atypical courses to succeed and persist in their studies. The researcher also found a negative relationship between IP and self-efficacy. / Mini Dissertation (MA (Research Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Psychology / MA (Research Psychology) / Unrestricted

The‌ ‌purpose‌ ‌of‌ ‌this‌ ‌study‌ ‌was‌ ‌to‌ ‌investigate‌ ‌the‌ ‌experience‌ ‌of‌ ‌impostor‌ ‌phenomenon‌ ‌in‌ ‌ female‌ ‌managers‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌professional‌ ‌role.‌ ‌The‌ ‌study‌ ‌was‌ ‌based‌ ‌on‌ ‌a‌ ‌qualitative‌ ‌method‌ ‌ where‌ ‌seven‌ ‌semi-structured‌ ‌interviews‌ ‌were‌ ‌conducted.‌ ‌The‌ ‌result‌ ‌was‌ ‌analyzed‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌basis‌ ‌ of‌ ‌an‌ ‌inductive‌ ‌thematic‌ ‌analysis,‌ ‌which‌ ‌generated‌ ‌four‌ ‌main‌ ‌themes‌ ‌describing‌ ‌the‌ ‌ respondents'‌ ‌experience‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌phenomenon‌:‌‌ ‌work‌ ‌experience‌ ‌and‌ ‌education,‌ ‌requirements‌ ‌ and‌ ‌expectations,‌ ‌anxiety‌ ‌and‌ ‌consequences‌ ‌‌and‌ ‌‌the‌ ‌importance‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌support.‌‌ ‌The‌ ‌result‌ ‌ showed‌ ‌that‌ ‌all‌ ‌respondents‌ ‌experienced‌ ‌the‌ ‌impostor‌ ‌phenomenon‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌professional‌ ‌role.‌ ‌ The‌ ‌extent‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌respondents‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌experience‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌impostor‌ ‌phenomenon‌ ‌could‌ ‌be‌ ‌ influenced‌ ‌by‌ ‌a‌ ‌number‌ ‌of‌ ‌factors‌ ‌such‌ ‌as‌ ‌the‌ ‌requirement‌ ‌of‌ ‌superior‌ ‌managers,‌ ‌the‌ ‌support‌ ‌ of‌ ‌managers‌ ‌and‌ ‌colleagues‌ ‌as‌ ‌well‌ ‌as‌ ‌education‌ ‌and‌ ‌work‌ ‌experience.‌ ‌The‌ ‌results‌ ‌further‌ ‌ showed‌ ‌that‌ ‌frequent‌ ‌experiences‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌phenomenon‌ ‌could‌ ‌generate‌ ‌negative‌ ‌consequences,‌ ‌ but‌ ‌in‌ ‌cases‌ ‌where‌ ‌the‌ ‌experiences‌ ‌were‌ ‌to‌ ‌a‌ ‌lesser‌ ‌extent‌ ‌it‌ ‌contributed‌ ‌to‌ ‌a‌ ‌positive‌ ‌ individual‌ ‌development.‌ ‌ / Syftet‌ ‌med‌ ‌denna‌ ‌studie‌ ‌var‌ ‌att‌ ‌undersöka‌ ‌upplevelsen‌ ‌av‌ ‌impostor‌ ‌phenomenon‌ ‌hos‌ ‌ kvinnliga‌ ‌chefer‌ ‌i‌ ‌deras‌ ‌yrkesroll. ‌‌Studien‌ ‌utgick‌ ‌från‌ ‌en‌ ‌kvalitativ‌ ‌metod‌ ‌i‌ ‌vilken‌ ‌sju‌ ‌ semistrukturerade‌ ‌intervjuer‌ ‌genomfördes. ‌‌Resultatet‌ ‌analyserades‌ ‌utifrån‌ ‌en‌ ‌induktiv‌ ‌ tematisk‌ ‌analys‌ ‌vilket‌ ‌genererade‌ ‌fyra‌ ‌huvudteman‌ ‌som‌ ‌beskrev‌ ‌respondenternas‌ ‌upplevelse‌ ‌ av‌ ‌fenomenet.‌ ‌Dessa‌ ‌var:‌ ‌‌arbetslivserfarenhet‌ ‌och‌ ‌utbildning,‌ ‌krav‌ ‌och‌ ‌förväntningar,‌ ‌ oroskänslor‌ ‌och‌ ‌konsekvenser‌ ‌‌samt‌ ‌‌stödets‌ ‌betydelse.‌‌ ‌Resultatet‌ ‌visade‌ ‌att‌ ‌samtliga‌ ‌ respondenter‌ ‌upplevde‌ ‌impostor‌ ‌phenomenon‌ ‌i‌ ‌sin‌ ‌yrkesroll.‌ ‌Respondenternas‌ ‌omfattning‌ ‌ utav‌ ‌upplevelsen‌ ‌av‌ ‌impostor‌ ‌phenomenon‌‌ ‌‌kunde‌ ‌påverkas‌ ‌av‌ ‌ett‌ ‌flertal‌ ‌faktorer‌ ‌som‌ ‌kravet‌ ‌ från‌ ‌överordnade‌ ‌chefer,‌ ‌stödet‌ ‌från‌ ‌chefer‌ ‌och‌ ‌kollegor‌ ‌samt‌ ‌utbildning‌ ‌och‌ ‌ arbetslivserfarenheter.‌‌ ‌‌Resultatet‌ ‌visade‌ ‌vidare‌ ‌att‌ ‌frekventa‌ ‌upplevelser‌ ‌av‌ ‌fenomenet‌ ‌kunde‌ ‌ generera‌ ‌negativa‌ ‌konsekvenser‌ ‌men‌ ‌i‌ ‌de‌ ‌fall‌ ‌då‌ ‌upplevelserna‌ ‌var‌ ‌i‌ ‌lägre‌ ‌omfattning‌ ‌bidrog‌ ‌ det‌ ‌till‌ ‌en‌ ‌positiv‌ ‌individuell‌ ‌utveckling.‌ ‌ ‌

There is a lack of literature that has investigated the relationships between stereotype threat, impostor phenomenon, and other related constructs on career development, particularly for women in STEM. While various resources (National Science Foundation, 2013; Sax, Kanny, Jacobs, Whang, Weintraub, & Hroch, 2016; US Department of Labor, 2014) have highlighted the gender gap and “leaky pipeline” in STEM, it is important to further investigate and understand why these phenomena occur and continue to persist. In this study, I used a mixed methods approach which used a quantitative SEM analyses and qualitative interview to further examine the paths between chilly climate, impostor phenomenon, stereotype threat, science self-efficacy, fear of failure, fear of success, academic major satisfaction, and persistence in STEM in a sample of undergraduate females. Several hypotheses were formed in order to better understand the mediation effects of these variables upon one another. Stereotype threat was found to be endorsed at a lesser rate than anticipated, while impostor phenomenon was endorsed at a higher rate. Science self-efficacy was also found to play an important role in the predicted relationships among variables, relating to both academic major satisfaction and persistence. These quantitative results were supported by data gathered in qualitative interviews. Implications for research and practice around concerns of impostor phenomenon, stereotype threat, and fears of failure and success are discussed.

Bluffenomenet är en inre upplevelse av att känna sig som en bedragare och en rädsla att bli avslöjad som otillräcklig i sociala sammanhang. Personer som upplever bluffenomenet tror sig ha övertygat sin omgivning om att de besitter mer kunskap och mer kompetens än de verkligen har och känner en rädsla för att deras brist på förmåga ska avslöjas av omgivningen. Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka på vilket sätt och i vilka sammanhang bluffenomenet påverkar socionomen i sin professionella yrkesroll i socialt arbete. Uppsatsens syfte har undersökts genom fyra intervjuer med yrkesverksamma socionomer genom en metodtriangulering där en kvantitativ enkät kombinerades med kvalitativa djupintervjuer. Innehållet i uppsatsen har utgångspunkt i symbolisk interaktionism som vetenskapsteoretisk tradition och den insamlade datan har analyserats utifrån teoretiska begrepp bestående av Bluffenomenet och Yrkesroll samt ett teoretiskt perspektiv i form av det dramaturgiska perspektivet. Uppsatsens huvudsakliga resultat visar att bluffenomenet framförallt uppkommer hos socionomer som är nya i sin yrkesroll eller befinner sig i ett nytt sammanhang arbetsmässigt. Bluffenomenet påverkar informanternas yrkesroll genom att arbetsuppgifter skjuts upp, osäkerhet gentemot klienter och en ödmjukhet inför den egna prestationen i arbetet. Uppsatsens diskussion lyfter bland annat komplexiteten i socionomens yrkesroll i form av andras och egna förväntningar. Uppsatsen kan genom de upplevelser som informanterna delat med sig av användas för att sprida kunskap om bluffenomenets uppkomst och sammanhang hos yrkesverksamma socionomer. / The impostor phenomenon is an inner experience of feeling like a fraud and a fear of being revealed as inadequate in social contexts. People who experience the impostor phenomenon believe they have convinced their surroundings to possess more knowledge and more skills than they really have and fear that their lack of ability will be revealed by the environment. The purpose of the essay was to investigate in what way and in what context the impostor phenomenon affects the social worker in its profession in social work. The purpose of the essay has been answered through four interviews with professional social workers in the form of a method triangulation where a quantitative form was combined with qualitative deep interviews. The content of the essay has been interpreted by symbolic interactionism as a science-theoretic tradition, and the collected data has been analyzed from the theoretical concepts consisting of Impostor phenomenon and Profession and a theoretical perspective in the form of the dramaturgical perspective. The main findings of the essay show that the impostor phenomenon occurs primarily in social workers who are new in their occupational role or in a new context in work. The impostor phenomenon affects the informants in their profession in the way by postponing some duties, insecurity in client meetings and humility for their own performance at work. The discussion discusses the complexity of social workers professional role in the form of others and their own expectations. Through the experiences that the informants shared, the essay can be used to disseminate knowledge about the conception of the impostor phenomenon and context in professional social workers.

The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to explore the feelings, thoughts, critical incidents, and coping mechanisms of female high school principals and their experiences with the impostor phenomenon. A hierarchical multiple regression revealed that none of the demographic factors such as number of years as a head high school principal, age, percentage of female high school principals in the district, race/ethnicity, marital status, mentorship status, and community type, were statistically significant predictors of the varying levels of the impostor phenomenon. Eighteen female principals who represented an array of backgrounds and impostor phenomenon experiences were subsequently interviewed. The interviews were evaluated using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Seven themes, including several subthemes, emerged from the data. The themes were (1) childhood socialization, including the subthemes of gender roles, familial support, and early experiences of exclusion; (2) transitional uncertainty, including hiring self-doubt, school politics, and pressure to turn around a school; (3) the principalship, including relational leadership, constant pressure, and loneliness of the position; (4) critical incidents of the impostor phenomenon, including the subthemes of lack of experience, external criticism, and self-doubt; (5) gender issues, including a male dominated position, emotional capacity, and physical appearance, (6) coping strategies for the impostor phenomenon, including mentorship and peer support, family support, and self-talk; and (7) combating the impostor phenomenon, including proven success, dismissing criticism through confidence, overcoming controversy and religion or spirituality. The results of this study suggest that mentorship, role models, familial support, and developing self-confidence can help alleviate the negative effects of the impostor phenomenon. It is recommended that educational leadership preparation programs educate students about the impostor phenomenon in an effort to normalize how they view themselves at various transitional phases of their career while offering supports to help them combat potential feelings of self-doubt that may arise as they progress through their careers.

The purpose of this qualitative research was to acknowledge the gap in literature concerning the relationship between female leadership in a Swedish context with impostor syndrome. The focus was on analyzing whether impostor syndrome has an impact on the career progression of female leaders and how organizations can either exacerbate or mitigate the effects of suffering from impostor syndrome in the workplace.  In order to reach a conclusion aligned with the purpose and to respond to the conducted research questions, six semi-structured interviews were conducted with women in different leadership positions, operating within different companies and industries in Sweden. The interviews along with the theoretical framework allowed the authors to perform a thematic analysis in order to structure and analyze the gathered information.  The empirical data that was collected provided sufficient evidence for the authors to draw conclusions with regards to the posed research questions. It was concluded that impostor syndrome is a phenomenon that was frequently experienced among the female leaders, which could be confirmed in the literature. It could also be concluded that this was not a factor that had hindered them in their career progression. Moreover, the organizational support systems could be concluded to have a great impact in how the effects of impostor syndrome could be mitigated or further exacerbated.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate online social comparison and impostor phenomenon (IP) in undergraduate music education students. I employed a sequential explanatory mixed models design to explore the extent to which music education students experienced IP, used Facebook, and engaged in social comparison on Facebook. I explored participants' perceptions of how they engaged in online social comparison in the context of their professional lives. In Phase 1, I surveyed participants to measure impostor phenomenon, Facebook intensity, and Facebook social comparison. Analysis of the descriptive data revealed that 77.8% of participants experienced frequent to intense IP symptoms. Facebook social comparison emerged as the only significant predictor of IP in participants accounting for 13.3% of the variance in CIPS scores. In Phase 2, I conducted focus groups to investigate participants' perceptions of how they engaged in online social comparison as related to their professional identity. The themes that emerged from the qualitative data included: (a) comparing to peers online, (b) using Facebook for professional purposes, (c) psychological effects of online comparison, and (d) withdrawing from social media to avoid adverse effects. Lastly, I integrated the quantitative and qualitative data to expound upon and confirm findings in each phase. The results indicated that as participants progressed through their music education degree program, they used Facebook more frequently in each subsequent year, leading to increased social comparison and IP.

This study explored the impostor phenomenon (IP) experiences of secondary public school music students by addressing three primary research questions. The first question investigated the frequency and severity of impostor feelings using both the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) and the newly developed Music Student Impostor Phenomenon Scale (MSIPS). Results revealed high levels of impostor feelings among participants (N = 824) with the original CIPS generating higher scores (M = 74.02, SD = 15.19) compared to the MSIPS (M = 69.66, SD = 10.85). Subsequent analysis categorized participants into Few, Moderate, Frequent, and Intense response levels, indicating a substantial number experiencing frequent or intense impostor feelings. The second research question explored correlations between demographic variables and reported IP scores. Gender, age, NAfME region, race/ethnicity, school music experience, parent ensemble participation, and ensemble type were analyzed for potential associations with impostor feelings. While some weak correlations emerged, the overall trend indicated universality in impostor experiences across demographic categories. Notably, the MSIPS generated lower overall scores, prompting considerations on the scale’s domain-specificity. The third research question evaluated the MSIPS’s validity and reliability. The study affirmed the scale’s reliability with Cronbach’s alpha of .876, while the content validity index (CVI) suggested its adequacy for measuring impostor feelings in a public school music context. However, challenges arose during factor analysis revealing an excessive number of factors, complicating interpretation. This study argues for reconsidering the necessity of domain-specific scales, advocating for a broader focus on universal self-perceptions contributing to the impostor phenomenon. In conclusion, this study contributes insights into the impostor phenomenon among public school music students and emphasizes the widespread occurrence of IP, advocating for a broader approach to understanding and addressing impostor feelings. The findings invite further exploration into psychotherapeutic interventions and broader considerations of the self-perceptions contributing to the impostor phenomenon. / Music Education

Le syndrome de l’imposteur peut être source d’une grande souffrance. Soixante-deux à 70% de la population peuvent être amenés à douter, ne serait-ce qu’une fois, de la légitimité de leur statut. Ces questionnements s’orientent sur l’impression de tromper les autres, sur les attributions de sa situation et sur la peur de voir son incompétence mise à jour. Malgré sa prévalence, peu d’études s’intéressent au caractère pathologique de ce syndrome, et encore moins à chercher des outils d’accompagnement adaptés. Les objectifs de ce travail étaient de valider un outil d’évaluation en français, et d’améliorer la compréhension de la dimension cognitive de ce syndrome.L’étude 1 est une étude quantitative menée auprès de 549 participants. Elle propose la validation du concept du syndrome de l’imposteur et la réalité d’un syndrome pouvant être pathologique. Les résultats démontrent différents profils d’imposteurs pour lesquels les comorbidités et leur vécu se révèlent différents.L’étude 2 est une étude quantitative menée auprès de 1597 participants. Elle a permis la validation de la Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) dans sa version francophone. Les résultats démontrent des bonnes qualités psychométriques du questionnaire. L’étude 3 est une étude quantitative menée auprès de 694 participants. Elle évalue les manifestations anxieuses inhérentes au syndrome de l’imposteur. Les analyses rendent compte de profils d’imposteurs différents. L’établissement d’un modèle d’émergence de ce syndrome a été suggéré afin d’interroger sa présence lors des périodes de grand stress de la vie. L’étude 4 est une étude quantitative menée auprès de 873 participants. Elle est axée sur l’intégration de l’acceptation inconditionnelle de soi comme outil pertinent de prise en charge des imposteurs. Elle propose de plus un profil cognitif de ces personnes au regard de la représentation de l’échec, des attitudes dysfonctionnelles et d’une faible acceptation inconditionnelle de soi. / The impostor phenomenon can represent a significant distress source. The literature suggests that 60-70% of the population questions their legitimacy at least once in their lives. These doubts focus on feelings of inadequacy or fraud, poor success attribution, and the fear of being exposed as an impostor. Few studies have explored the pathological aspects of the impostor phenomenon despite its prevalence. Moreover, to our knowledge too little research has been conducted to design adequate management tools. The research carried out for this thesis seeks to validate existing impostor phenomenon measures, the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS), as well as better understand cognitive dimensions related to this syndrome.Study 1 was a quantitative study carried out on a sample of 549 participants. This study deals with the validation of the independent concept of impostor phenomenon as well as potential pathological aspects related to it. Results showed different impostor profiles both in intensity and impacts of this syndrome.Study 2 was a quantitative study carried out on 1,597-strong sample. The main objective was to validate an existing impostor phenomenon scale (CIPS) in French. The results demonstrated good psychometric validity for the French version.Study 3 was a quantitative study carried out on a sample of 694 participants. This study examined anxiety manifestations linked to the impostor phenomenon. The results demonstrated different profiles of impostors. A model was developed to help understand the manifestation of this syndrome during periods of severe stress and change.Study 4 was a quantitative study carried out on a sample of 873 participants. This study focused on unconditional self-acceptance as a useful method of appropriate therapeutic management linked to the impostor phenomenon. A cognitive profile of impostors was developed that helps account for irrational beliefs about failure, dysfunctional attitudes, and low unconditional self-acceptance.