The Impostor Phenomenon and causal attributions of positive feedback on intelligence tests

Brauer, Kay; Proyer, René T.

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2022.111663

Cited by 12 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Participants higher in IP were more negative in assessing their performance. This replicates previous findings suggesting that those who score high in measures of IP are more negative in their performance evaluations (Brauer and Proyer, 2022;Gadsby and Hohwy, 2021). As in previous research, no difference in performance was revealed between groups (Brauer and Proyer, 2022;Cozzarelli and Major, 1990;Gadsby and Hohwy, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…For example, attributing one's success to external factors (and failure to internal factors) is distinct from underestimating how well one performed on a test of intelligence (Brauer and Wolf, 2016;Brauer and Proyer, 2022;Cozzarelli and Major, 1990;Thompson et al, 1998). It may be that these other forms of bias are inflexible.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Those who score highly on measures of IP are more negative in evaluating their own performances, misjudging themselves as having performed poorly in tests of intelligence (Gadsby and Hohwy, 2021). Additionally, they are biased towards attributing success to external (e.g., luck) rather than internal (e.g., intelligence, talent) causes (Brauer and Proyer, 2022;Brauer and Wolf, 2016;Cozzarelli and Major, 1990;Thompson et al, 1998). Consistent with this negative self-evaluation, IP is associated with low self-esteem (Sonnak and Towell, 2001), depression (McGregor et al, 2008), and dissatisfaction with life (Clance, 1985).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Incentivising accuracy reduces bias in the imposter phenomenon

Gadsby

Hohwy²

2022

Curr Psychol

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The imposter phenomenon (IP) involves a bias towards negative performance evaluation. While dispositional theories predict that such biases are inflexible, situational theories suggest that they may respond to accuracy incentives. In this study, we tested whether performance evaluation bias in IP is responsive to financially incentivising accuracy. Participants (n = 225) high and low in IP solved a set of reasoning problems that they were informed were designed to test their intelligence. After the task, participants estimated their performance, in either an incentivised or unincentivized condition. The results replicated previous findings, as participants high in IP evaluated their performance more negatively. However, when incentivised to do so, high IP participants became more positive in their self-assessments. Amongst low IP participants, no effect of incentive was revealed. These findings emphasise the importance of situational factors in understanding and intervening on the biases associated with IP.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Incentivising accuracy reduces bias in the imposter phenomenon

Gadsby

Hohwy²

2022

Curr Psychol

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“…We found that the IP-WTC association was mediated by the indirect effect via perceived competence, whereas the contribution of anxiety was negligible. Perceived competence has been identified as a robust predictor of WTC in prior studies (e.g., Dewaele, 2008; -Kuciel, 2011;Lockley, 2013), and this aligns well with Impostors' tendency to discount their abilities and underestimate their competence (e.g., Brauer and Proyer, 2022). This is also consistent with Yamini and Mandanizadeh's (2011) finding that the IP is associated with lower self-efficacy and, as a result, lower selfperceived writing competencies in L2.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Impostor Phenomenon and L2 willingness to communicate: Testing communication anxiety and perceived L2 competence as mediators

Brauer

Barabadi²,

Aghaee³

et al. 2023

Front. Psychol.

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The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) describes experiences of perceived intellectual fraudulence despite the existence of objectively good performances, and it is a robust predictor of experiences and outcomes in higher education. We examined the role of the IP in the domain of second language (L2) acquisition by testing its relations with a robust predictor of L2 use, willingness to communicate (WTC). We collected self-reports of 400 adult Iranian L2 learners and tested the associations between the IP and WTC. As expected, we found a negative association between IP and WTC (r = −0.13). When testing a mediation model with perceived competence and communication anxiety as parallel mediators, we found evidence for full mediation via perceived competence. Our findings show the importance of considering self-evaluations in the domain of L2 acquisition. Further implications and limitations are discussed.

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“…Procrastination followed by rushed action increases the likelihood of failure, which validates feelings of impostorism. When rushed action results in success, the positive outcome is likely to be attributed to luck and other external causes rather than the individual's own skill, also perpetuating impostorism (Brauer & Proyer, 2022;Sightler & Wilson, 2001). Given that the allyship context is fraught wherein people (e.g., ingroup versus outgroup members) have diametrically different expectations of an ally (Warren, Winkelman, & Waldrop, 2022), in order to manage social risk individuals may be highly motivated to over-prepare or procrastinate.…”

Section: Theory and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

How can I lead social change when I feel like a fake? Exploring the impostor phenomenon among social justice allies in the workplace

Warren¹,

Warren²,

Smith³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Many employees self-label as allies, yet few engage in concrete allyship action. We propose that one critical barrier is impostorism – possessing allyship competencies yet feeling like a fraud – which may stifle action and undermine individual mental health and workplace functioning. Latent profile analyses tested whether this unique confluence of competencies and feelings of fraudulence were present with respect to the ally role. Results from a preregistered study with two representative samples of working adults in Michigan, US (N = 778) and Canada (N = 973), identified four profiles: (1) Competent Ally Impostors (high allyship competencies, high impostorism), (2) Confident Allies (high allyship competencies, low impostorism), (3) Average Allies (average allyship competencies, moderate impostorism), and (4) Disengaged Individuals (low allyship competencies, low impostorism). As hypothesized, we found that Competent Ally Impostors had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety than Confident Allies, suggesting that this subgroup of skilled individuals may nevertheless be impeded by impostorism, and their mental health may suffer as a result. Unlike our hypotheses, Disengaged Individuals and Average Allies reported significantly less psychological safety, work efficacy, and job satisfaction than Confident Allies and Competent Ally impostors suggesting that allyship competencies and not impostorism may drive employees’ levels of psychological safety, work efficacy, and job satisfaction at work. Our findings point to the outcomes associated with allyship impostorism and other subgroups of allyship functioning, which in turn sheds light on how we can better target research and practice to boost allyship.

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The Impostor Phenomenon and causal attributions of positive feedback on intelligence tests

Cited by 12 publications

References 10 publications

Incentivising accuracy reduces bias in the imposter phenomenon

Incentivising accuracy reduces bias in the imposter phenomenon

Impostor Phenomenon and L2 willingness to communicate: Testing communication anxiety and perceived L2 competence as mediators

How can I lead social change when I feel like a fake? Exploring the impostor phenomenon among social justice allies in the workplace

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