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IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: DEFINITIONS

The definition of ‘Impostor Syndrome’ have evolved over time:

In literature, ‘Impostor Syndrome’ was first referred to as ‘Impostor Phenomenon’ and gendered bias towards women:

“The term impostor phenomenon is used to designate an internal experience of intellectual phonies, which appears to be particularly prevalent and intense among a select sample of high achieving women.” (Clance & Imes, 1978)

“ Impostor syndrome describes high-achieving individuals who, despite their objective successes, fail to internalize their accomplishments and have persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud or impostor.” (Kolligian & Sternberg, 1991)

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Present day, the phrase ‘Impostor Syndrome’ has several synonyms and is gender neutral, non-biased

  • Impostor syndrome, impostor phenomenon, fraud syndrome, perceived fraudulence, and impostor experience can refer to the same mentality. (Bravata, et. al. 2019)
  • “…individuals express difficulty internalizing their achievements and accomplishments and worry that they may be uncovered as frauds.” (Feenstra, et. al. 2020)
  • “Impostor syndrome is the feeling that you don’t belong – in graduate school or in your first academic or alt-ac job…” (Herrmann, 2016)

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IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: IMPOSTOR EXPERIENCES

One can often feel the weight of impostor syndrome without knowing or specifying what it is. The feeling of worthlessness and thinking I’m not… good enough, smart enough, deserving enough, capable enough, etc. is an impostor experience.

�Prevalence of impostor syndrome, in 62 published studies, ranged from 9 to 82%.

Most studies of impostor syndrome are conducted in North America (41 out of 62) and out of the 62 studies only 9 were reported outside of North America and Europe. (Bravata, et. al. 2019)�

For example,

  • I don’t belong in graduate school.
  • My peers are smarter than me because they attended an ivy league institution.
  • I’m a first-generation graduate students, I can’t complete my PhD and no one understands how challenging this process is for me.
  • I don’t know enough about [mass spec. process] to take this new position.
  • Everyone is going to find out that I don’t know [mass spec. process] and think I’m incompetent.
  • Why does graduate school make people so unhappy? Should I drop out?
  • I’m only in this position because my professor knows [someone].
  • I can’t get into that school because my [grades, university, connections] aren’t good enough.

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IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: IMPOSTOR THINKING

Impostor syndrome is invasive! As you just heard world renowned individuals, such as Albert Einstein, Maya Angelou, even Sheryl Sandberg (Feenstra, et. al. 2020) have felt like impostors.

“This feeling [has]… detrimental consequences for individuals’ well-being as well as career advancement. These internalized, negative perceptions of the self are borne out of environments and social interactions that lead people to question their abilities and worth.”

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Imposter syndrome can creep into your life through:

  • Social contexts and surroundings
  • Individual insecurities
  • Societal expectations and stereotypes
  • Peer evaluations and cues

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IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: MANAGING

Managing Imposter Syndrome through four areas:

  • Social contexts and surroundings – find hobbies and meet people outside of academia
  • Individual insecurities – work with a clinical therapist and coach for confidence training
  • Societal expectations and stereotypes – find role models who defy societal expectations and stereotypes
  • Peer evaluations and cues – talk to your supervisor or HR manager about bullying and limit your interactions with harmful colleagues

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IMPOSTOR SYNDROME: REFERENCES

Clance, P. R.; Imes, S. The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention. Psychother. Theor. Res. 1978, 15 (3), 1-8.

Bravata, D. M.; Watts, S. A.; Keefer, A. L.; Madhusudhan, D. K.; Taylor, K. T.; Clark, D. M.; Nelson, R. S.; Cokley, K. O.; Hagg, H. K. Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review. J. Gen. Intern. Med. 2019, 35 (4), 1252-1275.

Kolligian, Jr., J.; Sternberg, R. J. Perceived Fraudulence in Young Adults: Is There an ‘Impostor Syndrome’? J. Pers. Assess. 1991, 56 (2), 308-326.

Feenstra, S.; Begeny, C. T.; Ryan, M. K.; Rink, F. A.; Stoker, J. I.; Jordan, J. Contextualizing the Impostor “Syndrome”. Front. Psychol. 2020, 11 (575024), 1-5.

Jaremka, L. M.; Ackerman, J. M.; Gawronski, B.; Rule, N. O.; Sweeny, K.; Tropp, L. R.; Metz, M. A.; Molina, L.; Ryan, W. S.; Vick, S. B. Common Academic Experiences No One Talks About: Repeated Rejection, Impostor Syndrome, and Burnout. 2020, 15 (3), 519-543.

Herrmann, R. Impostor Syndrome Is Definitely a Thing. The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 16, 2016. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ade38cf7e3c3a8e0fd03b28/t/5afc3b6870a6ad438c27a15c/1526479721433/impostor_syndrome_is_definitely_a_thing.pdf