Impostor Phenomenon and Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Roles of John Henryism and School Racial Composition Among Black College Students

Abstract

<jats:p> The impostor phenomenon (IP), or erroneous cognitions of intellectual incompetence, is a risk factor for poor psychological adjustment among Black emerging adults. Grounded in Lazarus and Folkman’s Stress and Coping Framework, the current study investigated John Henryism’s active coping and institutional racial composition as moderators of the association between IP and indicators of psychological well-being among 266 Black students (77% women; M<jats:sub>age</jats:sub> = 19.87) attending predominately White institutions (PWIs) and historically Black colleges/universities (HBCUs). Hierarchical moderation regression analyses revealed that IP was associated with decreases in well-being indicators among students attending PWIs and HBCUs. Moreover, students who attended PWIs and reported higher levels of John Henryism (+1 SD) were most vulnerable to increases in social anxiety, particularly at higher levels of IP. Results suggest that the interaction between IP, John Henrysim, and institutional racial composition may negatively influence psychological well-being. We discuss how these findings can be used to inform clinical and educational practices to best support Black college students. </jats:p>

Lawyering While Black: Perceived Stress as a Mediator of Impostor Feelings, Race-Related Stress and Mental Health Among Black Attorneys

“…There has been a growing body of research on the negative impact of the impostor phenomenon among Black college students (Bernard et al, 2020; Lige et al, 2017; Stone et al, 2018). Several studies have shed light on how the unique racialized experiences of Black individuals in primarily White institutions (PWIs) may contribute to the onset and/or maintenance of impostor feelings.…”

Examining the Impostor-Profile—Is There a General Impostor Characteristic?

“…His quote illustrates that a lack of internalization of successes characterizes the IP as well as a pronounced self-doubt and a feeling of cheating (Clance and Imes, 1978 ). The fear of failing in future tasks and subsequently being exposed as an impostor is associated with restricted quality of life and career ambitions (e.g., Neureiter and Traut-Mattausch, 2016 ; Bernard et al, 2020 ). Thus, public and scientific interest in the IP has increased substantially over the last 6 years (e.g., Bravata et al, 2019 ; Mak et al, 2019 ).…”

Commentary: Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Imposter Syndrome: A Systematic Review

“…There is some evidence to suggest that for ethnic minority populations there is a racial component of impostor feelings 76,77 . For example, a recent qualitative study with Black graduate students found five themes related to impostor feelings: awareness of low racial representation, questioning intelligence, expectations, psychosocial costs, and explaining success externally 76 .…”