Final Gill Academic Writing

Running head: IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Imposter Syndrome Morgan Gill Western Carolina University

IMPOSTER SYDROME

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Many professionals, particularly in student affairs, more than likely end their days feeling like they could have done more. Could they have talked to that student longer? Should they have prepared better for that meeting? Despite the fact that many times higher education professionals devote a significant amount of time to their careers, this feeling is prominent (Gluckman, 2017). Imposter syndrome, also known as perceived fraudulence or imposter phenomenon, can be defined as, “a subjective experience of perceived intellectual phoniness that is held by certain high-achieving adults who, despite their objective successes, fail to internalize these successes” (Kolligian & Sternberg, 1991, p. 309). Imposter syndrome is the name to feeling that so many people suffer from throughout their time as a professional, especially early on. This paper will provide an overview of the current research on this topic, a gap in the literature in regards to graduate students experiencing imposter syndrome, and how this specifically relates to future student affairs professionals. Literature Review Imposter syndrome does not discriminate. It does not matter what gender, race, socioeconomic status or profession a person has, the feeling of being a fraud can happen (Christina, 2014). Imposter syndrome can look like a variety of things meaning the feeling is unrelated to any one person’s career or passions, just a fraudulent reaction about their life in general (Christina, 2014). Much of this stems from a person’s childhood and how they viewed being an adult at a young age. From an early age, it is believed that adults seem to have it all figured out, so when a person is actually transforming into an adult, and their life is not how they had always pictured it, there is a sense of failure that comes along with that (Christina, 2014). It is very easy to let these failures define your life, specifically in adulthood. Christina (2014) recommended

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that individuals should try and reverse the grass-is-always-greener mindset and focus on the things that make them happy in order to combat imposter syndrome (Christina, 2014). The struggle many people face in regards to transitioning to an adult has changed significantly throughout the past decade, and this has a direct impact on what imposter syndrome currently looks like (Lane, 2015). Individuals aged 18-24 tend to identify as both an adolescent as well as an adult during these years. This lack of clarity in their role perpetuates an unsettling feeling in many aspects of their lives, such as higher education, professional, and personal (Lane, 2015). Lane (2015) conducted a study with twenty-nine 18-to-25-year-olds who were either not enrolled in higher education or were less than one year away from completing their degree. This study consisted of qualitative surveys as well as follow up interviews. Of the survey respondents, 79% of them had experienced imposter feelings. Most the participants were young and new to their careers. The findings from this study were intense feelings of self-doubt, impacts to their performance, and guilt (Lane, 2015). Several other studies, including Gibson-Beverly and Schwartz (2011), found very similar results and reactions impacting graduate students. The phenomenon around imposter syndrome has existed for well over a decade (Lane, 2015), but the amount of research being conducted around it has yet to settle. The outcome of this has been more about how to combat the feelings of phoniness (Young, 2011). Professionals are sharing their personal experiences with imposter syndrome and sharing their advice on how people with similar experiences can do the same. The target audience of this research is largely minority groups such as women, people of color, and first-generation students (Young, 2011). In the book, The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, author Valerie Young talks about the drastic differences between imposter syndrome in men and women. Young (2011) quotes Dr. Sheila

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Widnall, a professor at MIT in saying, “Treat a male student badly and he will think you’re a jerk. Treat a female student badly and she will think you have finally discovered that she didn’t belong in engineering” (p. 119). Throughout the book, Young discussed how women experiencing imposter syndrome is common and encourages females to focus on the facts and stop telling yourself a story. She also urged women to take notes from men, and “fake it til you make it” (Young, 2011, p. 168). Roche (2014) also shared her fears about being a minority in her graduate cohort at the Columbia Business school. She was one of 20 people of color in a class of over five-hundred students and commonly wondered if it was a mistake that she was there. Roche expressed how very few people looked like her and understood her, and this caused her to seek external validation, rarely bring up her degrees and constantly believe that everyone else was more intelligent than her. Fortunately, she experienced self-assurance and encouraged others with 15 tips on conquering imposter syndrome. These include, building self-awareness, becoming familiar with your imposter and, always paying it forward (Roche, 2014). Gardner (2016) shared her direct experiences with imposter syndrome by saying, “The conference room is filling up, and I start to get nervous as the moderator introduces me—not because I am about to speak to hundreds of fellow veterinarians, which I love to do, but because I fear I will be considered a fraud. I start thinking of all the things I do not know and become paranoid that someone will ask me something that stumps me or I do not feel qualified to answer” (p. 51). Gardner quickly reminded herself that she is qualified and if she did not know the answer to a question, everyone was there to learn anyway. This quick reminder did not come easily though. After years of suffering from imposter syndrome, Gardner has seemingly just started to master the art of overcoming this feeling. She provided readers with seven tips on how

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to do just this, including: realize that nobody is perfect, seek help, and lean on people who you respect (Gardner, 2016). One of the most common characteristics of imposter syndrome is that it often happens to people who are very successful. Valerie Sheares Ashby, Dean of Duke University’s College of Arts & Sciences, battled with imposter syndrome until the age of 43. After leading a very successful and prosperous career, a simple Google search finally put a name to the face of a feeling she had been grappling with for so many years (Gluckman, 2017). Ashby established the 10 steps you can use to overcome imposter syndrome outlined in Young’s (2011) book. She practiced these every day for a year and now speaks to undergraduates, graduates, and young professionals about getting over these seemingly never-ending feelings of self-doubt. As quoted in Gluckman (2017), “I remember walking to my office thinking, I don’t think I feel like this anymore. The tape in my mind had changed to: Everybody has different talents. I’m equally as qualified to be here as anybody else” (p. 1). Through the many articles about overcoming imposter syndrome, there is a consistent message - recognize your faults, but more importantly, your successes. Come to terms and own them, because nobody else can accomplish the things you do, like you (Gluckman, 2017). Critical Analysis It can be common for a graduate student to focus on their failures more so than their successes. Many times, graduate students are still learning. Whether they are in a full-time position or in an assistantship, it still feels daunting to measure up to colleagues. This is a place where imposter syndrome can manifest in unique ways. Although graduate school seems like the best opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them, it is easy to get caught up on those few

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failures and not be able to move on. This allows imposter syndrome to become more prominent and continue long on into one’s career (Pishva, 2010). Despite the amount of research surrounding imposter syndrome, there is little evidence on the intricacies it can play in a graduate student’s life. Pishva (2010) stated that as a master’s candidate, every time she avoided someone figuring out that she did not belong, it was just a matter of time before she was worried about being found out again. Graduate students are commonly put in a position where they feel the need to prove themselves, and this could cause feelings of imposter syndrome to come up more often. According to Chapman (2015), mature students, typically perusing masters or doctorate degrees, frequently struggle with not being “the real deal” in a world where everyone else seems like they have it all together (p. 112). This is an example when comparing oneself to a supervisor or mentor can have negative consequences as opposed to leaning on them for guidance. An idea student affairs professionals commonly discuss is work-life balance. This is something that future practitioners could improve upon. It is difficult to seek balance when individuals are also suffering from imposter syndrome. Some graduate students are required to stay late into the night for programming, live on campus among their students, and frequently travel after-hours for work purposes. It can be challenging to disconnect. There is an immense amount of pressure put on student affairs graduate students, and this is an abundant place for imposter syndrome to harbor. How does the requirement of needing to perform all the time impact future professionals? It will be important for researchers moving forward to focus more particularly on these feelings of fraud within graduate students, particularly within the field of higher education and student affairs.

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References Chapman, A (2015). Using the assessment process to overcome Imposter Syndrome in mature students. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 41(2).112-119. Christina, G., (2014). Imposter syndrome, and what it means to be an adult. The Humanist, 74, 34-36. Gardner, M. (2016). Overcoming imposter syndrome. Veterinary Team Brief, 4, 51-53. Gibson-Beverly, G., & Schwartz, J. R. (2011), Attachment, entitlement, and the imposter phenomenon in female graduate students. Journal of College Counseling. 11(2). 119-132. Gluckman, N. (2017). How a Dean got over imposter syndrome – and thinks you can, too. Chronicle of Higher Education, 64(14), 1. Kolligan, J., & Sternberg, R. J. (1991). Perceived fraudulence in young adults: Is there an ‘Imposter Syndrome’. Journal of Personality Assessment, 56(2), 309. Lane, J. A., (2015). The imposter phenomenon amount emerging adults transitioning into professional life: Developing a grounded theory, Adult Lifespan Journal, 14, 114-128. Pishva, R. (2010). “Phew, I fooled ‘em this time.... but I may not be so lucky next time”: The Imposter Syndrome among graduate students. Psynopsis: Canada’s Psychology Magazine, 32(3), 35. Roche, J. (2014). Conquering Imposter Syndrome: Lessons from female and minority business leaders. Leader to Leader, 13-18. Young, V. (2011). The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From Imposter Syndrome and How To Thrive in Spite of It. New York: Crown Business.