Browsing by Subject "Impostor phenomenon"

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An impostor’s resistance : the protective role of critical consciousness from the mental health impacts of the impostor phenomenon
(2019-08) Lanehurst, Ashley Nicole; Cokley, Kevin O. (Kevin O'Neal), 1969-; Sanchez, Delida; Whittaker, Tiffany A; Holme, Jennifer J
Research in higher education continues to explore the complexity of challenges faced by students of color. One of these challenges is the impostor phenomenon which has been linked to psychological distress. Additionally, the literature has demonstrated that students who endorse low levels of academic self-efficacy and identify less with school, also exhibit lower levels of psychological well-being. This dissertation hoped to expand the literature on the impostor phenomenon by integrating a socio-cultural contextual layer which proposed that those individuals who experience higher degrees of psychological distress may endorse higher levels of social dominance orientation. Furthermore, the concept of critical consciousness was included as a possible opposing dynamic to social dominance and would result in higher levels of psychological well-being. This dissertation utilized a multiple group path analysis to clarify the relationships between the impostor phenomenon, academic self-efficacy, identification with school, social dominance, critical consciousness, and mental health among students of color and White students.
Cultural beliefs and impostor feelings : exploring predictors of academic self-concept in Latinx undergraduates
(2022-06-06) Archer, Jennifer Elizabeth; Awad, Germine H.; Cokley, Kevin; Muenks, Katherine; Timm, Maria
The purpose of the current study is to identify factors that influence positive academic self-concept for Latinx college students. Since the early 2000s, the number of degree-seeking Latinx individuals has doubled, creating a need for more research into factors facilitating degree completion (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Research in this area largely focuses on aspects such discrimination and mental health concerns that make adjusting to college difficult. This deficit focus fails to recognize cultural dimensions that positively facilitate retention and academic success. Additionally, little attention has been given to the experience of impostor feelings, referring to feelings of fraudulence, in this population (Clance, 1985; Cokley et al., 2013). To this end, the purposes of this work are twofold. First, the current study seeks to examine the relationship between the impostor phenomenon and academic self-concept for Latinx college students. Secondly, the study will also explore how cultural values such as family connectedness (familismo), ethnic identity, and gender role expectations (marianismo, machismo, and caballerismo) as well as individual-level variables (i.e. gender) predict positive academic self-concept. These findings will further clarify how the impostor phenomenon functions within Latinx college students and will empirically establish the relationship between various culturally bound values and academic self-concept in a college sample in an effort to inform interventions and facilitate deeper understanding of this growing population of students. Hierarchical regression was utilized to analyze data from two hundred and thirteen U.S. undergraduate students who responded to an online survey distributed via subject pool. Results revealed that GPA and SES served as positive predictors of academic self-concept, and impostor feelings and the spiritual pillar of marianismo served as negative predictors. Familismo, ethnic identity resolution, the virtuous and chaste pillar of marianismo, and caballerismo were also positively associated with academic self-concept. Limitations and implications are discussed.
Examining the role of impostor phenomenon in the college experience
(2018-08-17) Rackley, Kadie Renee; Awad, Germine H.; Cokley, Kevin O.; Whittaker, Tiffany A.; Williams, Jeannetta G.
Impostorism is a phenomenon where competent individuals feel phony at school or work and fear being discovered as a fake. Impostor syndrome has recently become a trending topic for discussing why many feel like a fraud at work or school, even though the construct was conceptualized in the 1970s (Clance & Imes, 1978). Much of the extant research about impostor phenomenon has used undergraduate samples, yet little knowledge exists about how this impostorism functions within the college context. The purpose of this study was to examine how impostor phenomenon operates for undergraduates and how it affects their college experience. Gender schema and social learning theories provided the framework for assessing gender stigma consciousness (GSC), professor approachability, and the controllability of causal attributions for success as predictors of undergraduates’ impostorism, and in turn how these impact their college experience defined as sense of belonging at their university, psychological well-being, and GPA. Path analyses demonstrated GSC positively predicted impostorism, and professor approachability and attribution controllability negatively predicted students’ impostorism. These also showed impostorism negatively impacted students’ well-being and sense of belonging at college. No relationship was found between impostorism and GPA. Further, t-tests and multiple group path analyses demonstrated that the impact of impostorism was similar for men and women undergraduates, but some predictors of impostorism operated differentially by gender. Professor approachability predicted women’s impostorism but not men’s impostor fears. These findings and their implications were discussed within the context of gender differences in attributions and the historical and social context of higher education. One of the most significant implications is that professors’ interactions with students matter, especially for traditionally marginalized students. Inasmuch as future research should aim to expand on these findings, this study is an important first step into investigating how impostorism operates among undergraduates specifically and why ambivalent findings prevail about gender differences in impostorism. The results of this study serve to inform instructors, college administrators, and researchers about the importance of considering the psychological adjustment of students, even those thriving academically, and to address the sources of impostorism on their college campuses.
The impact of the impostor phenomenon on the math self-efficacy of males and females in STEM majors
(2014-08) Blondeau, Lauren Alexandra; Awad, Germine H.
In the undergraduate and working environments, some science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) areas remain dominated by males. The purpose of this study was to understand the gendered experience of individuals in STEM majors by assessing students’ math self-efficacy, impostorism (a feeling of intellectual phoniness), and future goals. Based on prior research, an overall conceptual model was proposed and analyzed. Several related precursors including gender role orientation, perceived parental influence, math identity, and theories of intelligence were included in the model. Three hundred six undergraduates (64.38% female) in the colleges of natural science, geosciences, and engineering responded to an online survey addressing these constructs. Based on prior research, hypotheses were created proposing that females would report higher impostorism, lower math self-efficacy, and more femininity than males. I expected that masculinity, perceived parental influence, an entity theory of intelligence, and high math identity would predict the impostor phenomenon. Moreover, I hypothesized that the relation of each of these predictors to impostorism would be moderated by sex. For the next two hypotheses, I proposed that the four sources of math self-efficacy would predict math self-efficacy, but this relation would be moderated by impostorism. Finally, I expected that impostorism would lead to reduced future expectations and aspirations, but that this association would be mediated by math self-efficacy. Results indicated partial support of the study hypotheses, and a revised model was created. Both sexes reported similar levels of impostorism, but females had lower math self-efficacy and greater femininity than males. Masculinity negatively predicted the impostor phenomenon, while math identity and an entity theory of intelligence positively related to the dependent variable. Sex moderated the effect of perceived parental influence such that males’ impostorism was more affected by parental influence than females’. Emotional arousal was a strong contributor to math self-efficacy, but this relation was attenuated by impostorism. Coping with emotional arousal was positively associated with math self-efficacy; however, this association was significantly stronger for low impostors than high ones. Finally, impostors were less likely to expect to go to graduate school or work in a STEM-related field. Implications for schools and professors are discussed.
Ingenieras Mexicanas in the making
(2022-04-05) Montecinos, Alicia M.; Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; Borrego, Maura; Bukoski, Beth E; Flores, Tracey T; Madkins, Tia C
One persisting problem in STEM higher education, has been the underrepresentation of women and BIPOC (i.e. black, indigenous, and people of color) in engineering higher education. Despite a slow improvement in their share of engineering bachelor’s degrees, current rates are far from being satisfactory, and their academic experiences continue to be tainted with gross discrimination. Furthermore, within racial and ethnic underrepresented categories in higher education, one particular group of interest is the Mexican American community. As the Mexican American community keeps growing, so does their share of college-age individuals; yet, Mexican Americans tends to be underrepresented in 4-years institutions, respective to their actual population share. Texas women of Mexican heritage pursuing a degree in engineering emerge as a unique demographic at the intersection of the problematics introduced above. Their embodied minoritized, intersectional identities can make them particularly vulnerable to bigotry, an underserved K-12 education background, cultural gaps, machismo, and other barriers that may hinder their academic goals; yet, they persist. Therefore, it is invaluable for researchers in STEM education to learn directly from their experiences, especially when most empirical studies tend to homogenize Pan American identities under unifying labels such as Chicana or Latina. The present study consists on a phenomenological investigation involving 32 Mexican American female students, enrolled in undergraduate engineering programs at a southwestern predominantly White university. Pertinent frameworks employed include LatCrit Theory, Self-Silencing Model, Ambivalent Sexism Theory, Borderlands Theory, and Familism. The empirical component of this work is divided in three analytical chapters, covering themes ranging from family history to how students fare against discrimination in the classroom. Through a careful analysis of the participants’ narratives, each chapter brings to the front important discussions about gender, race, and engineering education culture. This dissertation is closed by synthesizing the analytical chapter’s outcomes. Limitations and venues for future research are also discussed
The impact of the impostor phenomenon on mental health outcomes of undergraduate students
(2019-12-03) Archer, Jennifer Elizabeth; Awad, Germine H.
This paper provides an overview of the impostor phenomenon as it pertains to the mental health outcomes of college undergraduate students. This overview is framed within a larger concern for factors negatively impacting college retention. This paper reviews the origin and descriptions of the impostor phenomenon, differences based on demographic variables as well as the impostor phenomenon’s connection to career planning, mental health such as anxiety and depression, and maladaptive perfectionism. Suggestions for interventions based on the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy in treating perfectionism as well as discussions of the potential value of self-compassion skill-building will be presented. Recommendations for future research include special attention to how impostorism is conceptualized within ethnic/racial minority communities and the value of training career counselors to recognize signs of impostorism.