Despite objective measures of their accomplishments, some high-achievers feel their success is fraudulent and attribute their achievements to external factors, such as luck, rather than their own personal capabilities. This phenomenon, known as impostorism, is experienced by nearly all women in STEM graduate programs, according to new research from Jiyun Elizabeth Shin of Binghamton University, a campus of the State University of New York System.
In a study of a diverse group of graduate women studying various STEM disciplines at institutions throughout the United States, Dr. Shin found 97.5 percent of participants reported at least a moderate level of imposter experiences. This impostorism was associated with poorer mental health, greater burnout, and increased consideration of dropping out.
“Impostorism is a feeling like being an intellectual fraud even when there is strong evidence of success,” said Dr. Shin. “You believe that other people are overestimating your abilities and intelligence, and you fear that one day you’ll be exposed as incompetent and undeserving of your success.”
She continued, “More research is needed to better identify strategies to reduce impostor experiences, but social support may be helpful in reducing impostor fears.”
Dr. Shin currently teaches as a lecturer in psychology and leads the Social Identity and Academic Engagement Laboratory at Binghamton University. She earned her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and her Ph.D. from Stony Brook University in New York.