Impostor Syndrome – Who Does It Concern and How to Deal With It?

How to recognise impostor syndrome?

Impostor syndrome refers to the specific beliefs of talented and successful people in a particular field, who believe that their achievements are the result of chance or mistake rather than skill and work. These individuals fear being exposed as incompetent and experiencing failure when others realise they do not have the right skills or knowledge. This phenomenon was first described in the context of a group of female students who, despite their excellent academic performance, felt that their achievements were not of their own making, but the result of external factors.

Further research showed that family conflicts in childhood and lack of parental support play a key role in the development of impostor syndrome. Those affected by impostor syndrome attribute their success to external factors, such as luck, timing or help from others. Impostor syndrome often manifests itself through:

• persistent self-doubt (“I don’t really know how to do anything”),
• tendency to belittle one’s own successes and achievements (“Others have better results, what I have achieved means nothing”),
• overloading oneself with work to compensate for perceived inadequacies (“What I do must be even better”),
• perfectionism (“I always strive for perfection”),
• a strong fear of failure (“If I make a mistake, I’m finished”),
• feelings of guilt and shame in the face of success (“I don’t really deserve this success”).

Symptoms of impostor syndrome and their effects

Symptoms of impostor syndrome can lead to the development of emotional disorders, anxiety, depression and professional burnout, representing a constant source of stress and negative evaluation related to self-perception. Those affected by the syndrome often adopt two key behavioural strategies to deal with their inner fears. These are:

• Obsessive over-preparation – the intense pursuit of perfection to compensate for feelings of incompetence.
• Hesitation and procrastination – postponing tasks, leading to stress and frantically trying to finish work at the last minute.

Who is vulnerable to impostor syndrome?

Studies show that impostor syndrome can affect people from all walks of life, but professionals, college graduates and academics are most at risk. Women and ethnic minorities may be particularly susceptible to this phenomenon because of stereotypical social prejudices, which often reinforce feelings of being inferior to others. Impostor syndrome also affects people who grow up in overly critical or overprotective family environments.

What does the impostor cycle look like?

The impostor cycle is a phenomenon described by Pauline Clance depicting behaviours and the emotions attributed to them that perpetuate the impostor syndrome in those affected. It proceeds as follows:

1. Achievement-related task

The cycle begins when a person faces a challenge in which their competencies will be assessed, such as a task at work.

2. Initial anxiety and self-doubt

At first there are feelings of anxiety, doubt and fear of failure, rooted in the belief that success is impossible. This emotional state drives further behaviour.

3. Coping mechanisms

To cope with the fear of failure, people affected by impostor syndrome usually use one of two strategies:

• Over-preparation – investing too much time and effort in a task, often beyond what is necessary.
• Procrastination – delaying a task, leading to significant last-minute efforts that will be attributed to luck or outside help.

4. Task result

Despite self-doubt, a person usually succeeds thanks to their efforts, knowledge and skills.

5. Attributing success

This is a key moment in the cycle. Instead of seeing success as the result of one’s skills or abilities, a person with impostor syndrome attributes it to external factors, such as:

• luck, coincidence or timing,
• assistance from others,
• the effort itself, but not the skills or competencies.

6. Momentary relief followed by further doubt

Success brings temporary relief, but the person affected by impostor syndrome does not change their belief in their own incompetence. Instead, doubts and fear of being exposed return with new challenges and the cycle begins again. 

This cyclical process reinforces the impostor syndrome, making it impossible to build true self-confidence based on one’s achievements. 

How to deal with the impostor syndrome?

Overcoming impostor syndrome requires strategies based on psychological research that focus on reformulating thinking and external support. The following steps can help in this process:

1. Cognitive restructuring

The technique involves finding and challenging automatic negative thoughts associated with impostor syndrome, such as “I’m not competent enough” or “Everyone will find out I’m cheating”. To use this method effectively, it is worth replacing these thoughts with more constructive, evidence-based reflections, such as recognising your skills that contributed to the success. Cognitive-behavioural therapy has been proven to be effective in dealing with the distorted self-perception that underlies impostor syndrome.

2. Externalising feelings

Sharing our feelings about impostor syndrome with trusted people can be helpful, as it provides us with a fresh perspective on the situation and feedback from a sympathetic person. Joining support groups can also help in the process of overcoming impostor syndrome. Research shows that talking openly about the topic in a group can reduce the anxiety associated with fear of being exposed and foster a sense of belonging.

3. Mentor support and feedback

Receiving constructive feedback and mentoring provide an outside perspective, which allows you to look at yourself more objectively. Getting regular feedback from mentors, supervisors or teachers helps you get a realistic picture of your own performance.

4. Setting realistic requirements

Impostor syndrome is often accompanied with perfectionism. Setting realistic goals and recognising that making mistakes is allowed can contribute to our development and help alleviate the pressure we feel. It is important to define “good enough” standards and remember that perfection is neither possible nor necessary. Reducing demands on ourselves can help alleviate the symptoms of impostor syndrome and improve our well-being.

Differences between incompetence and impostor syndrome

In order to effectively change the misconceptions associated with impostor syndrome, it is useful to understand the difference between the subjective sense of incompetence and its actual manifestation. People experiencing impostor syndrome often consider themselves incompetent, despite having objective evidence of their high skills. Even when they receive positive feedback or get recognition, they still feel like impostors.

Meanwhile, actual incompetence involves a lack of relevant skills, knowledge or abilities, which is usually reflected in objective results, such as repeated failures, poor grades or unmet goals.

Understanding how others perceive us and having more faith in their positive assessment – manifested in compliments, promotions or good grades – can be extremely helpful in the process of overcoming impostor syndrome. It is worth keeping a log of achievements and feedback to objectively assess whether our self-perception is in line with reality. Such practices can help gradually transform our unsupportive beliefs about ourselves and help overcome impostor syndrome.

^References:

1. ^{American Psychological Association, APA Dictionary of Psychology (2nd ed.), 2015.}
2. ^{Cokley K., McClain S., Enciso A., Martinez M., An Examination of the Impact of Minority Status Stress and Impostor Feelings on the Mental Health of Diverse Ethnic Minority College Students. Journal of multicultural counseling and development, 2013, 41. 82-95, https://10.1002/j.2161-1912.2013.00029.x.} 
3. ^{Yaffe Y., The Association between Familial and Parental Factors and the Impostor Phenomenon—A Systematic Review, American Journal of Family Therapy, 51, 2022, https://10.1080/01926187.2021.2019140.} 
4. ^{Clance P. R., The Impostor Phenomenon: Overcoming the fear that haunts your success, Peachtree, Atlanta, GA, 1985.}
5. ^{Bagheri S. F. & Nouri E., Savabi N. V., Choubtashani, M., Farahani H., The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Mental Health, Self-esteem and Emotion Regulation of Medical Students with Imposter Syndrome, Educational Research in Medical Sciences, 13, 2024, e147868. https://10.5812/ermsj-147868.} 
6. ^{Cokley K., McClain S., Enciso A., Martinez M., An Examination of the Impact of Minority Status Stress and Impostor Feelings on the Mental Health of Diverse Ethnic Minority College Students, Journal of multicultural counseling and development, 41., 2013, 82-95, https://10.1002/j.2161-1912.2013.00029.x.} 
7. ^{Parkman A., The Imposter Phenomenon in Higher Education: Incidence and Impact, Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 16, 2016, 51-60.} 
8. ^{Dudau D., The Relation between Perfectionism and Impostor Phenomenon, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 127, 2014, 129–133, https://10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.226.}