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Research papers on Impostor syndrome

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  1. Contextualizing the Impostor “Syndrome”

    Sanne Feenstra, Christopher T. Begeny, Michelle K. Ryan, et al. · 2020 · Frontiers in Psychology · 171 citations

    The impostor “syndrome” refers to the notion that some individuals feel as if they ended up in esteemed roles and positions not because of their competencies, but because of some oversight or stroke of luck. Such individuals therefore feel like frauds or “impostors”. Despite the fact that impostor feelings are often linked to marginalized groups in society, to date, research predominantly approaches this phenomenon as an issue of the individual: pointing towards individuals for the roots and solutions of the “syndrome”. Drawing from a rich body of social and organizational psychology research, in this perspectives piece, we propose a shift in how scholars conceptualize and empirically examin

  2. PhD Imposter Syndrome: Exploring Antecedents, Consequences, and Implications for Doctoral Well-Being

    Anna Sverdlik, Nathan C. Hall, Lynn McAlpine · 2020 · International journal of doctoral studies · 82 citations

    Aim/Purpose: Research on doctoral students’ well-being suggests that an interplay of social and psychological factors, such as integration into the scholarly community and perceptions of self-worth, shape students’ experiences. The present research examined the role of these factors in the well-being of doctoral students. Background: Imposter syndrome has long been discussed both formally and informally as a prevalent experience of doctoral students. Existing research provides empirical support for the role of perceived belongingness to one’s scholarly community in maladaptive self-perceptions (i.e., imposter syndrome), as well as the role of imposter syndrome in doctoral students’ well-bein

  3. PhD Student Experiences with the Impostor Phenomenon in STEM

    Devasmita Chakraverty · 2020 · International journal of doctoral studies · 63 citations

    Aim/Purpose: This US-based study explored various facets of impostor phenomenon experienced during PhD training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Specifically, the purpose of this research was to identify certain experiences that trigger this phenomenon. Background: Competent high-achievers who do not believe in their efforts leading to accomplishments sometimes experience the impostor phenomenon. It is characterized by the notion that one has fooled others into overestimating their ability, not attributing one’s accomplishments to ability, and living with the fear of being discovered as a fraud. Methodology: Data were collected using convenience and snowball sampl

  4. The impostor phenomenon at work: A systematic evidence‐based review, conceptual development, and agenda for future research

    Daniel P. Gullifor, William L. Gardner, Elizabeth P. Karam, et al. · 2023 · Journal of Organizational Behavior · 57 citations

    Summary The impostor phenomenon (IP) was originally identified over 40 years ago, and there has been a recent surge in its examination across domains of management research. However, a lack of a comprehensive review that synthesizes organizationally‐relevant IP research has left IP research dispersed across time and disciplines with diminished conceptual clarity and an incoherent nomological network. We address these shortcomings by conducting a systematic review of IP in the workplace. We review 188 scholarly works (111 articles and 77 dissertations) published from 1978 to 2023 and summarize these data to describe the current state of the workplace‐relevant IP literature. Moreover, we map t

  6. Connecting the Dots Between Mindset and Impostor Phenomenon, via Fear of Failure and Goal Orientation, in Working Adults

    Rebecca Noskeau, Angeli Santos, Weiwei Wang · 2021 · Frontiers in Psychology · 43 citations

    This study aims to investigate the relationship between mindset and impostor phenomenon, via the explanatory role of fear of failure and goal orientation in the work domain. Only one known study has previously connected mindset and impostor phenomenon in the scientific literature among females in a university setting. Data was collected from 201 working adults, with a roughly equal male-female ratio, from a range of sectors in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and United States. Participants completed an online survey comprising the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale, the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory, Work Domain Goal Orientation Instrument, and the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scal

  7. Measuring impostor phenomenon among health sciences librarians

    Jill Barr‐Walker, Michelle Bass, Debra A. Werner, et al. · 2019 · Journal of the Medical Library Association JMLA · 39 citations

    OBJECTIVE: Impostor phenomenon, also known as impostor syndrome, is the inability to internalize accomplishments while experiencing the fear of being exposed as a fraud. Previous work has examined impostor phenomenon among academic college and research librarians, but health sciences librarians, who are often asked to be experts in medical subject areas with minimal training or education in these areas, have not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to measure impostor phenomenon among health sciences librarians. METHODS: A survey of 2,125 eligible Medical Library Association (MLA) members was taken from October to December 2017. The online survey featuring the Harvey Impostor Phenomen

  8. Interventions addressing the impostor phenomenon: a scoping review

    Emma Para, Philippe Dubreuil, Paule Miquelon, et al. · 2024 · Frontiers in Psychology · 27 citations

    Introduction: The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) refers to a psychological experience characterized by unjustified feelings of intellectual and professional fraud, accompanied by the fear of not maintaining performance and of being exposed. IP is receiving increasing attention in the fields of psychological health at work and occupational psychology as well as among the general public, since it affects the functioning of both individuals and organizations. The aim of this scoping review is to map the range of interventions that have been conducted to address IP among individuals experiencing it in a professional context. Methods: The search and selection process to identify relevant reports was co

  9. Coping with Impostor Feelings: Evidence Based Recommendations from a Mixed Methods Study

    Jill Barr‐Walker, Debra A. Werner, Liz Kellermeyer, et al. · 2020 · Evidence Based Library and Information Practice · 25 citations

    Abstract Objective – The negative effects of impostor phenomenon, also called impostor syndrome, include burnout and decreased job satisfaction and have led to an increased interest in addressing this issue in libraries in recent years. While previous research has shown that many librarians experience impostor phenomenon, the experience of coping with these feelings has not been widely studied. The aim of our study was to understand how health sciences librarians cope with impostor phenomenon in the workplace. Methods – We conducted a census of 2125 Medical Library Association members between October and December 2017. An online survey featuring the Harvey Impostor Phenomenon scale and open-

  11. Prevalence and Predictor of Impostor Phenomenon Among Medical Students at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia

    Marwa Ahmed El Naggar, Taif Alanazi, Norah A Alsayer, et al. · 2023 · Cureus · 17 citations

    BACKGROUND AND AIM: The impostor phenomenon (IP) was defined in 1978 as an "internal feeling of intellectual phoniness felt by people with outstanding academic and professional achievements." This study aims to estimate the prevalence and predictors of IP among medical students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2022 to May 2023. A total of 200 medical students from years one to five participated in the survey; the response rate was 82.5% (165). A stratified random sampling technique was used to select groups of male and female Jouf University medical students from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th batches of the 2022 to 2023 academic year. An e-mail with a self-admi

  13. Impostor Phenomenon Among Engineering Education Researchers: An Exploratory Study

    Devasmita Chakraverty · 2021 · International journal of doctoral studies · 10 citations

    Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore reasons that engineering education researchers experience impostor phenomenon. Background: Experiencing impostor phenomenon includes a psychological discomfort experienced by some high-achieving individuals who, by the very virtue of being successful, mistakenly believe that they are fraudulent and faking their success. Impostor phenomenon has been studied more broadly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), with little research specifically in engineering and computer science and none, to the author’s knowledge, in engineering education research. As an emerging discipline, some of the challenges in engineering educat

  15. Impostorization in Academia, Psychological Distress, and Class Reproduction

    Jo C. Phelan · 2024 · Society and Mental Health · 5 citations

    Might “impostor syndrome” be more than the private trouble it is often described to be? Instead, might it be deeply rooted in sociological processes? I explore this possibility drawing on my personal experience and Pearlin’s insistence that much that distresses us in our personal lives originates in social structures. I use Bourdieu’s theory to conceptualize the processes that may instill the “syndrome,” and once in place, surreptitiously recreate inequality. I test this conceptualization, using new sociologically relevant measures, in a stratified sample of over 2,000 American college students. Experiencing impostor concerns in college was significantly related to low parental income. Resul

  19. Impostor in the Mirror: A Clinician’s Reflection on Impostor Syndrome

    Joseph Home · 2026 · Qeios

    Impostor syndrome, the internalised fear of being exposed as inadequate despite evidence of competence, is common in medicine. Using personal reflections from early training and later leadership roles, this manuscript explores how postgraduate rotations, workplace hierarchies, and professional expectations foster self-doubt among clinicians. The emphasis on reflective practice, while central to professional development, can intensify self-criticism and reinforce feelings of inadequacy when combined with the cultural demand for perfection. Impostor syndrome should be recognised less as an individual failing and more as a systemic issue shaped by medical training and healthcare culture. Addres

  20. Prevalence of Impostor Phenomenon among Employees in a Higher Education Institution: Implications for Faculty Development And Workplace Well-Being

    Queenne Kimverlee Landingin, Belinda Ramos, Princess Jhoie Corpuz · 2026 · Technium Education and Humanities

    Impostor phenomenon (IP) has expanded across disciplines, but many professional contexts remain under-studied, including institutions of higher education. The study aims to examine the prevalence of impostor phenomenon among employees of the University of La Salette, Inc., which will help to provide a basis for future developments of institutional interventions, mentoring, and employees development initiatives, which constitute employees' well-being and professional growth, organizational efficiency, which further aims to promote the goal of sustainable quality education. The study employed a descriptive quantitative approach to eighty-four (84) employees who respondend to the Clance IP surv

  24. Síndrome del impostor en estudiantes de medicina

    Iván Josué Canales-Gómez · 2026 · Revista Española de Educación Médica

    El síndrome del impostor (SI) se define como la incapacidad de internalizar los logros propios, afectando especialmente a poblaciones de alto rendimiento como los estudiantes de medicina. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la frecuencia del SI y explorar su asociación con variables sociodemográficas y académicas. Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal entre febrero y julio de 2025 en la Licenciatura en Médico Cirujano de la Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (Zapopan, Jalisco, México). Se aplicó la Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) mediante encuestas en línea a 140 estudiantes de medicina, junto con variables sociodemográficas. Los datos se analizaron con

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