Abstract
The impostor phenomenon (IP) is a feeling of incompetence and inadequacy despite evidence to the contrary. Feelings of impostorism are associated with poor psychological functioning, including psychological distress and low self-esteem. Though particularly salient in college students, samples of African American college students have rarely been studied. The present study seeks to address this gap by investigating impostorism’s associations with psychological distress and self-esteem in an African American college student sample. We hypothesized that higher impostorism predicts higher psychological distress, and that higher impostorism predicts lower self-esteem. One hundred and twelve participants completed online measures of impostorism, psychological distress, and self-esteem. Using simple linear regression analyses, the results supported both hypotheses – higher impostorism predicted higher psychological distress and higher impostorism predicted lower self-esteem. The findings may be useful for mental health professionals working with African American college students to decrease the impact of imposter feelings on self-esteem, psychological distress, and academic performance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aud, S., Hussar, W., Planty, M., Snyder, T., Bianco, K., Fox, M., Frohlich, L., Kemp, J., & Drake, L. (2010). Washington, DC; National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences, U.S.: Department of Education. The condition of education 2010 (NCES 2010–028).
Austin, C. C., Clark, E. M., Ross, M. J., & Taylor, M. J. (2009). Impostorism as a mediator between survivor guilt and depression in a sample of African American college students. College Student Journal, 43, 1094–1109.
Bernard, N. S., Dollinger, S. J., & Ramaniah, N. V. (2002). Applying the big five personality factors to the impostor phenomenon. Journal of Personality Assessment, 78, 221–233.
Chrisman, S. M., Pieper, W. A., Clance, R. P., Holand, C. L., & Glickauf-Hughes, C. (1995). Validation of the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 65, 456–467.
Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The impostor phenomenon in high-achieving women: dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 15, 241–247.
Clance, P. R., & O’Toole, M. A. (1987). The imposter phenomenon: an internal barrier to empowerment and achievement. Women and Therapy, 6, 51–64.
Cozzarelli, C., & Major, B. (1990). Exploring the validity of the impostor phenomenon. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 9, 410–417.
Cross, W. E. Jr., Parham, T. A., & Helms, J. E. (1991). The stages of Black identity
Dalgard, O. S., & Tambs, K. (1997). Urban environment and mental health. A longitudinal study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 171, 530–536.
De Beauvoir, S. (1997). The second sex. London, England: Vintage [first published in French in 1949].
Elion, A. A., Wang, K. T., Slaney, R. B., & French, B. H. (2012). Perfectionism in African American students: relationship to racial identity, GPA, self-esteem, and depression. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 18, 118–127.
Engle, J., & Tinto, V. (2008). Moving beyond access college success for low-income, first generation students. Washington, DC: Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education.
Ewing, K. M., Richardson, T. Q., James-Myers, L., & Russell, R. K. (1996). The relationship between racial identity attitudes, worldview, and African American graduate students experience of the imposter phenomenon. Journal of Black Psychology, 22, 53–66.
Felder, R. (1988). Impostors everywhere. Chemical Engineering Education, 22, 168–169.
Gibson-Beverly, G., & Schwartz, J. R. (2008). Attachment, entitlement, and the impostor phenomenon in female graduate students. Journal of College Counseling, 11(2), 119.
Henning, K., Ey, S., & Shaw, D. (1998). Perfectionism, the impostor phenomenon and psychological adjustment in medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy students. Medical Education, 32, 456–464.
Jensen, S. Q. (2011). Othering, identity formation and agency. Qualitative Studies, 2, 63–78.
Kelderman, E. (2010). Higher-education groups lay out strategies to reach Obama’s college-completion goal. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Higher-Education-Groups-Lay/125710/
Kelly, W. E., Kelly, K. E., Brown, F. C., & Kelly, H. B. (1999). Gender differences in depression among college students: a multi-cultural perspective. College Student Journal, 33, 72–76.
Kessler, R. C., Andrews, G., Colpe, L. J., Hiripi, E., Mroczek, D. K., Normand, S. L. T., & Zaslavsky, A. M. (2002). Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress. Psychological Medicine, 32, 959–976.
Leary, M. R. (2000a). The impostor phenomenon: self-perceptions, reflected appraisals, and interpersonal strategies. Journal of Personality, 68, 725–756.
Leary, M. R. (2000b). The nature and function of self-esteem: sociometer theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 32, 1–62.
Lester, D., & Moderski, T. (1995). The imposter phenomenon in adolescents. Psychological Reports, 76, 466.
Levin, S., Van Laar, C., & Sidanius, J. (2003). The effects of ingroup and outgroup friendships on ethnic attitudes in college: a longitudinal study. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 6, 76–92.
Norem, J. K., & Cantor, N. (1986). Anticipatory and post-hoc cushioning strategies: optimism and defensive pessimism in “risky” situations. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 10, 347–362. pp. 319-338. Berkeley, CA: Cobb & Henry Publishers.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Rowley, S. J., Sellers, R. M., Chavous, T. M., & Smith, M. A. (1998). The relationship between racial identity and self-esteem in African American college and high school students. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 715–724.
Schlenker, B. R., & Pontari, B. A. (2000). The strategic control of information: Impression management and self-presentation in everyday life. In A. Tesser, R. B. Felson, & J. M. Suls (Eds.), Psychological perspectives on self and identity (pp. 199–232). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Schmader, T., Major, B., & Granzow, R. H. (2002). How African-American college students protect their self-esteem. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 35, 116–119.
Sellers, R. M., Caldwell, C. H., Schmeelk-Cone, K. H., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2003). Racial identity, racial discrimination, perceived stress, and psychological distress among African American young adults. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 302–317
Sightler, K. W., & Wilson, M. G. (2001). Correlates of the impostor phenomenon among undergraduate entrepreneurs. Psychological Reports, 88, 679–689. doi:10.2466/pr0.2001.88.3.679.
Sonnak, C., & Towell, T. (2001). The impostor phenomenon in British university students: relationships between self-esteem, mental health, parental rearing style and socioeconomic status. Personality and Individual Differences, 31, 863–874.
Spivak, G. C. (1985). The Rani of Sirmur: an essay in reading the archives. History and Theory, 24, 247–272.
Steele, C. (2006). Stereotype threat and African American student achievement. In Grusky, D.B., Szelenyi, S. (Eds.), The inequality reader: Contemporary and foundational readings in race, class, and gender (252–257). Westview Press
Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797–811.
Steinberg, J. A. (1986). Clinical interventions with women experiencing the impostor phenomenon. Women and Therapy, 5, 19–26.
Stevens, C. K., & Kristof, A. L. (1995). Making the right impression: a field study of applicant impression management during job interviews. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 80, 587–606.
Thompson, T., David, H., & Davidson, J. (1998). Attributional and affective responses of impostors to academic success and failure outcomes. Personality and Individual Differences, 25, 381–396.
Thompson, T., Foreman, P., & Martin, F. (2000). Imposter fears and perfectionistic concerns over mistakes. Personality and Individual Differences, 29, 629–647.
Williams, D. R., & Williams-Morris, R. (2000). Racism and mental health: the African American experience. Ethnicity and Health, 5, 243–268.
Wren, K. (2001). Cultural racism: Something rotten in the state of Denmark? Social & Cultural Geography, 2, 141–163.
Funding Information
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Peteet, B.J., Brown, C.M., Lige, Q.M. et al. Impostorism is Associated with Greater Psychological Distress and Lower Self-Esteem for African American Students. Curr Psychol 34, 154–163 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-014-9248-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-014-9248-z