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Elevating Confidence: Implications of Impostor Syndrome
Amber Hoefer Coordinator for Orientation Programs, Orientation & Transition Programs
Colorado State University
Karen M. Ganss Assistant Director, Utah Center for Rural Health
Southern Utah University
Session Overview
• What is impostor syndrome? • History of impostor syndrome • Key research • Personal definition & internal reflection • Strategies for overcoming impostor syndrome • Mentoring rising leaders • Takeaway(s)
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What is Impostor Syndrome?
• Psychology – A cognitive distortion that prevents a person from
internalizing any sense of accomplishment – Fear of being discovered to be a fraud – Attributes success to luck rather than skill
• Higher education (faculty-specific) – Shock attributed to events such as being published in a
top journal or receiving tenure • Valerie Young, Ed.D. – “people who have a persistent belief in their lack of
intelligence, skills, or competence” (Young, p. 16) – Impostor syndrome does not equal low self-esteem
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History of Impostor Syndrome
• Clance & Imes, Psychotherapy, 1978 – Phenomenon prevalent in 150 high-achieving women – First research done with ties to culture and gender – 1980’s-Clance and Matthews discover that 70% of people
(men and women) have felt like impostors in their career • Swedish Immunologists Wenneras & Wold, 1997 – Discovered for women scientists, it is two and a half times
more difficult for women to succeed than men • Valerie Young, 2011 – The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women – Helping successful women to FEEL successful
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Key Research
• Gender-specific research – Females internalize criticism and externalize success – Males-externalize criticism and internalize success – Oprah Winfrey & Sheryl Sandberg Video
• Population-based examples and research – First-Year College Students – New Graduate Students/ Graduate Assistants – Underrepresented Minority Students (STEM specific) – Applicable to first-generation students, minority
students, rural students…others?
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“It’s almost like the better I do, the more
my feeling of inadequacy actually
increases, because I’m just going, Any
moment, someone’s going to find out I’m a total fraud, and that I don’t deserve any of
what I’ve achieved.” –Emma Watson
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“I still doubt myself every single day. What people believe is my self-
confidence is actually my reaction to fear.” – Will Smith
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Reflection
• Given past research and definitions, what does impostor syndrome mean to you personally?
• Identify one point in your life up until this point when you doubted your success?
• Have you ever avoided taking on an opportunity because of nagging self-doubt? If yes, please describe.
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Strategies for Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
• Literature review suggestions – Know your skills and be secure in them – Fake it until you make it, don’t wait for feelings of
confidence – “Your fear of being inadequate pales compared with
your fear of being extraordinary” (Young, p. 243) – Accept praise – Be aware of your own self-perception
• Additions from the audience • Implications at your institution
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Mentoring Rising Leaders
• Many individuals cite that mentoring can be a “cure” for impostor syndrome, both from the mentor and mentee perspective
• The power of leading by example – Feel, believe, and act that you are indeed just as
capable, successful, and intelligent as others thing you are
– When a mentor praises their mentee, this allows the mentee to internalize these positive emotions
• Is this happening in your OTR program? On your campus? How?
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List of Rights & Additional Resources
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• The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Valerie Young • Feeling Like a Fraud by Peggy McIntosh
You have the right to… Say no without feeling guilty Make mistakes or be right
Express pride in your accomplishments Have an off day or not perform perfectly
Fail and learn from the experience Be treated fairly without discrimination of identity
To say “I don’t understand” To not be the spokesperson for my entire race, culture, gender, etc.
References Cabane, O. F. (2012). Do you suffer from impostor syndrome? The Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/olivia-fox-cabane/self-doubt_b_1373542.html. Clance, P. R. & Imes, S. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention.
Psychotherapy Theory, Research and Practice 15(3). 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.paulineroseclance.com/pdf/ip_high_achieving_women.pdf.
Gill, J. (2013, June 16). How I cured my imposter syndrome [Web blog post]. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/how-i-cured-my-imposter-syndrome.
Gravois, J. (2007). You’re Not Fooling Anyone. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Youre-Not-Fooling-Anyone/28069/.
Hiebert, B., Uhlemann, M. R., Marshall, A., & Lee, D. Y (1998). The relationship between self-talk, anxiety, and counselling skill. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 32, 163-171.
McIntosh, P. (1985). Feeling like a fraud. Wellesley Centers For Women. Retrieved from http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic857636.files/Fraud%20I.pdf.
Kasper, J. (2013). An Academic With Imposter Syndrome. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/An-Academic-With-Impostor/138231/.
Tinto, V. (1982). Defining dropout: A matter of perspective. In E.T. Pascarella (Ed.), Student Attrition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Tinto, V. (1988). Stages of student departure. Reflections on the longitudinal character of student leaving. Journal of Higher
Education, 59, 438-455. Upcraft, M. L., Gardner J. N., & Barefoot, B. O. (2005). Challenging and supporting the first-year student: A handbook for improving
the first year of college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Whalen, D. F., & Shelley II, M. C. (2010). Academic success for stem and non-stem majors. Journal of STEM Education, 11, p. 45-60. White, J. & Nonnamaker, J. (2011). Supervising graduate assistants. New Directions for Student
Services, 136, 43-54. doi: 10.1002/ss.413
Winfrey, O. & Sandberg, S. (2013, March, 24). Exclusive: The Best Speech Sheryl Sandberg Ever Heard. [YouTube Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcv8HCUkOII
Williams, E. N., Hurley, K., O'Brien, K., & DeGregorio, A. (2003). Development and validation of the self-awareness and management strategies (SAMS) scales for therapists. Psychotherapy: Theory. Research, Practice, Training, 40, 278-288. doi: 10.1037/0033-3204.40.4.278
Young, V. (2011). The secret thoughts of successful women: Why capable people suffer from the impostor syndrome and how to thrive in spite of it. New York: Crown Business.
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