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The impostor phenomenon and social mobility: You can't go home again.

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... However, in the literature, there is a dearth of IP studies in its connection with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (French et al., 2008). Second, IP is relevant in the technology profession since IP is connected to social up-gradation (Morley, 1997), and technology represents upper social strata in India (Dingman, 1987). Therefore, technology, which is always presented as a profession for geniuses, makes the professionals vulnerable to IP. ...
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Gender stigma consciousness (GSC) is one of the relevant aspects of an individual’s experiences, especially for women. The current study was an attempt to investigate whether gender stigma consciousness signifcantly impacts the imposter phenomenon (IP) (a self-perception of intellectual fraudulence despite having objective and consistent career accomplishments) and self-silencing (SS) (suppression of genuine emotions and opinions in intimate partner relationships). Moreover, this study investigated whether the imposter phenomenon mediates the relationship between gender stigma consciousness and self-silencing. To address these research objectives, this survey-based quantitative study was conducted on a sample of 237 female software engineers in India. The data have been analyzed by using structural equation modeling, where a mediational model that connects gender stigma consciousness, imposter phenomenon, and self-silencing was tested. The fndings revealed that gender stigma consciousness signifcantly predicts the imposter phenomenon and self-silencing. Further, the imposter phenomenon mediates the relationship between gender stigma consciousness and self-silencing.
... It has now been investigated in a plethora of settings and has been demonstrated in both males and females [11,12], as well as in populations ranging from professionals [13] to university professors [14] to medical students [15]. ...
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Unlabelled: People who experience the impostor phenomenon have intense thoughts of fraudulence regarding their intellect or professional activities. This perception of illegitimacy leads sufferers to believe that success in their lives is attributable to some form of error. Despite the phenomenon having been thoroughly researched in a plethora of professional and educational environments, there remains a relative lack of insight into the impostor phenomenon amongst medical students. This research aimed to better understand the relationship between medical students and the impostor phenomenon, and subsequently to investigate whether their coexistence is precipitated and perpetuated by the educational environment. A cross-sectional study of medical students was conducted using a pragmatist approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative data, via a questionnaire, focus groups and interviews. The main quantitative measure used was the validated Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS), where higher scores indicate more marked impostor experiences. A total of 191 questionnaire responses were received, and 19 students attended a focus group or interview. The average CIPS score for the cohort was 65.81 ± 13.72, indicating that the average student had "frequent" impostor experiences. Of note, 65.4% of students were classed as having "clinically significant" impostor experiences and females scored 9.15 points higher than males on average (p < 0.0001). Examination rankings were frequently cited as a major contributing factor to students' impostor feelings, and data revealed an increase of 1.12 points per decile that a student drops down the rankings (p < 0.05). Students' quotes were used extensively to underpin the quantitative data presented and offer an authentic insight into their experiences. This study provides new insights and contributes to our understanding of the impostor phenomenon amongst medical students, and eight recommendations for practice are presented, which are intended to provide medical schools with opportunities for pedagogical innovation. Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01675-x.
... The impostor phenomenon was originally thought to be more prevalent among females (Clance & Imes, 1978). However, most research has failed to reveal significant differences in the degree to which females and males experience impostor feelings (Bussotti, 1990; Casselman, 1992; Chae, Piedmont, Estadt, & Wicks, 1995; Dingman, 1987; Fried-Buchalter, 1997; Imes, 1979; Langford, 1990; Sonnak & Towell, 2001). Several authors have examined the relationship between the impostor phenomenon and various psychological traits and personality features. ...
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This article examines the hypothesis that individuals who were parentified as children are more likely to report impostor feelings in adulthood. A sample of 213 graduate students were given the Parentification Questionnaire (Sessions & Jurkovic, 198636. Sessions , M. W. 1986 . Influence of parentification on professional role choice and interpersonal style . Dissertation Abstracts International , 47 : 5066 View all references) and Clance's Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance, 198512. Clance , P. R. 1985 . The impostor phenomenon: Overcoming the fear that haunts your success , Atlanta, GA : Peachtree Publishers . View all references). Results indicated that parentification and the impostor phenomenon are moderately correlated (r = .37). No significant gender differences were found for either construct. With regard to racial/ethnic differences, no significant differences were found in parentification scores; however, Caucasians endorsed significantly higher impostor phenomenon scores than African Americans. The results suggest that the impostor phenomenon can be explained, in part, as a significant long-term effect of childhood parentification.
... Initially, they concluded that the impostor phenomenon was experienced strongly only by women (Clance & Imes, 1978). Most studies, however, have suggested that there is no difference between men and women in their level of experience of this phenomenon (Bussotti, 1990;Casselman, 1992;Castoro, Jones, & Mirsalimi, 2004;Chae, Piedmont, Estadt, & Wicks, 1995;Dingman, 1987;Fried-Buchalter, 1997;Imes, 1979;Langford, 1990;Sonnak & Towell, 2001). At the same time, precise definitions of the impostor phenomenon have varied in past studies. ...
Article
The purpose of this study was to develop a State Impostor Phenomenon Scale (SIPS). Participants (344 graduate and undergraduate students) were asked to complete the SIPS, the State Self-Esteem Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Scale in three situations, followed by the Trait Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed that the SIPS had stable factor structure, and adequate reliability. In addition, the predicted correlational patterns among the scales demonstrated the construct validity of the SIPS. Moreover, the SIPS was responsive to different situations, as evidenced by significant differences between the scores in the three situations.
Article
This article provides a methodology for mapping an individual's system of social relationships. Three examples of network maps which vary in complexity have been selected to represent the most common issues discussed by over 90 African American professional women during an eight year period. Excerpts from their explanations of these "maps" are used to identify issues pertinent to the social structure and adult development issues of this group. Implications for clinical practitioners working with African American women of professional status are discussed.
Article
The role of perceived parental rearing style, parental background, self-esteem, mental health and demographic variables upon impostor phenomenon [IP; Psychotherapy: Theory Research and Practice, 15, (1978) 241–247] intensity was investigated using a cross-sectional survey design, with 107 subjects (78 females, 29 males). A regression analysis revealed that both greater degree of perceived parental control and lower levels of self-esteem emerged as significant predictors of impostor fears, together accounting for 50% of the variation in impostor scores. Parental care score, parental educational and occupational level and subject's mental health and demographic information did not show a significant relationship to impostor scores. A post-hoc regression analysis indicated, however, that in addition to parental protection, lower care and poorer mental health was significantly related to increasing levels of impostor scores and with subjects having attended private school reporting lower levels of impostor feelings. In addition, subjects classified as impostors were found to report significantly higher GHQ scores (poorer mental health) than non-impostors. These findings, which are interpreted in terms of parenting styles, indicate that the role of parental overprotection may be especially implicated in impostor fears.
Article
Individuals who suffer from impostor fears harbour secret intense feelings of fraudulence in the face of achievement tasks and situations. This study investigated affective and attributional reactions of impostors following success and failure feedback. N = 164 undergraduate students were presented with a vignette depicting either hypothetical success or failure outcomes in a 2 (feedback: success, fail) × 2 (impostor fears: high low) between-subjects factorial design. Participants then responded to post-vignette items which assessed their cognitive, attributional and affective reactions, and completed several personality measures including the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale [Clance P. R. (1985). The impostor phenomenon: Overcoming the fear that haunts your success. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers]. Elements of perfectionism were evident in a propensity on the part of students with high impostor scores to externalise success and hold high standards for self-evaluation, while being intolerant of their failure to meet these standards. Impostors' greater reporting of negative emotions, together with their tendency to attribute failure internally and overgeneralise a single failure to their overall self-concepts underscore the veracity of clinical observations which suggest links between impostor fears, anxiety, and depression. These findings are important to an understanding of the dynamics and treatment of impostor fears.
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