Imposter Syndrome

Why do people sometimes feel like frauds despite the abundant evidence of their accomplishments? Rather than internalizing their capabilities and efforts, they attribute their successes to transient and external causes, such as good luck or random chance. Impostor syndrome is a psychological phenomenon referring to a pattern of behaviors in which people feel unworthy of their accomplishments and have a persistent and internalized fear of being exposed as inferior and undeserving. Antithetical to the concept that realizing your dreams is the pathway to happiness and fulfillment, those with Impostor Syndrome experience insecurity in direct proportion to their achievements. While early research focused on women, this syndrome has been found to impact adults in equal proportion.

Research also suggests that approximately 70% of adults may experience characteristics of this syndrome at least once in their lifetime. Imposter Syndrome was initially described by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in the 1978 article titled “The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutics.” (1) Clance and Imes observed that those in their study did not experience an internal sense of satisfaction despite being validated as measured by awards and promotions. These individuals instead described an ongoing internal experience of self-doubt, accompanied by emotions of guilt and fear. In 2018, Joel Bothello and Thomas Roulet further elaborated upon the definition of Imposter Syndrome by studying the phenomenon of students who had recently achieved advanced academic degrees and yet credited their accomplishments to luck and contingencies rather than skill and merit, and deemed their professional accomplishments as having minimal societal value. (2)

Dr. Valerie Young, in her 2011 book, “The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It”, quantified the syndrome into five interrelated subgroups (3). These subgroups are described as follows: The Perfectionists: Those who set extraordinarily ambitious self-imposed goals and suffered emotionally when not achieving them. The perfectionists were seldom satisfied and seemed unable to have compassion toward themselves. The Overachiever: Compensating for an internal perception of inadequacy by working longer and harder at the expense of outside interests and obligations. The Natural Geniuses: This group experienced a childhood environment in which they were reinforced to believe that they were superior to others and were expected to excel regularly and effortlessly. The Soloists: Believing that asking for help would reveal personal deficiencies thereby validating their sense of inadequacy. The Experts: Basing their sense of competence and self-esteem on what they know and accomplish and driven not by the pleasure of learning but rather by fear of being described as inferior.

Theories regarding the etiology of Imposter Syndrome are multiple and include the typical nature versus nurture arguments such as biologic risk factors versus early family dynamics, as well as the introjection of problematic societal stereotypes regarding gender, ethnicity, and financial success. A common denominator for most of these theories, however, involves three pathways of etiology. First is the minimizing of one’s field of productivity, manifested by devaluing one’s work and profession, and negating its influence upon society. Second is the questioning of the intrinsic value of the basic knowledge gained in one’s occupation, deeming it superfluous and unnecessary. Third is actually experiencing feedback from others who depict your accomplishments as being insignificant. The academic quandary of publish-versus-perish syndrome is a common example in which highly qualified professionals feel invalidated. There is a plethora of articles written on treatment recommendations for Imposter Syndrome.

As expected, there is focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, meant to clarify the extent of the difficulties, exploring what interventions have been tried in the past, differentiating the experience of feeling incompetent as opposed to objectively demonstrating ineptitude, and identifying misconceived attributions and perceptions. Common to most treatment approaches, however, are several basic axioms. One must attempt to learn to live within a reasonable expectation of proficiency. It is impossible to know all things. Similarly, it can be a challenge to take pride in the knowledge one already possesses. Rather than being self-defined by external parameters such as income or public recognition, there exists the possibility of greater contentment in taking pride in the expression of your natural abilities.

Comparing oneself to others is a frustrating journey. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome is not just a process of challenging the internal mindset but should also incorporate opportunities in which expertise and accomplishments are recognized, particularly in academic and professional environments. Seritan and Mehta, in their publication, “Thorny Laurels: The Imposter Phenomenon in Academic Psychiatry” (4) suggested specific supportive strategies for academic institutions. They involve providing educational workshops on Imposter Phenomenon for faculty and staff, greater emphasis on professional mentorship programs, acknowledging aspects of Imposter Syndrome in the academic processes of promotion and remediation, and greater recognition of the syndrome within employment assistance programs.

Imposter Syndrome is a curious paradox. Even though others believe in you, you fail to believe in yourself, and inadvertently invalidate those who seek to validate you. If in doubt, perhaps some useful advice would be when multiple people believe in you, trust them. References: (1) Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247. (2) Bothello J and Roulet TJ (2019) The imposter syndrome, or the misrepresentation of self in academic life. Journal of Management Studies 56: 854–861. (3) Young, V. (2011). The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: And Men: Why Capable People Suffer from Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite Of It. United Kingdom: Crown. (4) Seritan, A.L., Mehta, M.M. (2016) Thorny Laurels: The Impostor Phenomenon in Academic Psychiatry. Acad Psychiatry 40, 418–421

(PDF) Imposter Syndrome (Bulletin Allegheny County Medical Society). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373390265_Imposter_Syndrome_Bulletin_Allegheny_County_Medical_Society#fullTextFileContent [accessed Mar 10 2024].