Contextualizing the Impostor “Syndrome”

Abstract

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 toward 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 examine this phenomenon. Instead of framing the insecurities of individuals belonging to marginalized groups solely as a problem that arises within these individuals, we argue that it is critical for future research to consider the important role of the environment in eliciting their impostor feelings as well. By doing so, we can address the contextual roots of individuals’ impostor feelings, and offer more structural and effective solutions.

Flying in the Face of Adversity: A Drosophila-based Virtual CURE Provides Semester-long Authentic Research Opportunity to the Flipped Classroom

“…Combined with the gender differences in science identity discrepancy, we posit that while female students within our class may feel less capable than those around them, a quantified self-assessment of their own ability suggests otherwise. These gender differences are not necessarily surprising since females in several fields indicate greater imposter syndrome than males (25,26). However, it reinforces the importance of still pursuing systemic improvements that encourage women in STEM regardless that the National Institutes of Health no longer considers women as underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.…”

Flying in the Face of Adversity: a Drosophila -Based Virtual CURE (Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience) Provides a Semester-Long Authentic Research Opportunity to the Flipped Classroom

“…Combined with the gender differences in science identity discrepancy, we posit that while female students within our class may feel less skilled than those around them, a quantified self-assessment of their own ability suggests otherwise. These gender differences are not necessarily surprising, since females in several fields indicate greater imposter syndrome than males ( 25 , 26 ). However, it reinforces the importance of still pursuing systemic improvements that encourage women in STEM regardless that the National Institutes of Health no longer consider women underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.…”

The Impostor Phenomenon: Toward a Better Understanding of the Nomological Network and Gender Differences

“…In their study, only male imposters were significantly affected by negative feedback and conditions with high accountability, probably affecting their competence-based self-views and their self-esteem. That is, context factors that may drive differences between women and men should be taken into account in future studies to better understand the inconsistently observed gender differences in the IP (for a detailed discussion on the importance of contextual factors in understanding the IP, see Feenstra et al, 2020 ).…”