The Psychological Phenomenon Making People Doubt Their Success

Topline

“Imposter syndrome” has gone viral in the social media age—Oprah warned against it, many TikTok users are posting about it and it’s the subject of many self-help books—but it’s really a decades-old psychological concept about feeling self-doubt and a struggle to accept one’s achievements.

Research suggests 70% of people may experience imposter syndrome. (Photo By Alberto Ortega/Europa … [+] Press via Getty Images)

Europa Press via Getty Images

Key Facts

Imposter syndrome—or “imposter phenomenon,” as it was originally coined—is a form of self-doubt in which high-achieving individuals are unable to accept their success and credit luck instead of skill for their accomplishments, according to the American Psychological Association.

Imposter syndrome is not an official medical diagnosis, but researchers recognize it as a valid psychological phenomenon that can often accompany anxiety or depression.

Behaviors commonly identified as indicative of imposter syndrome include perfectionism, feeling unworthy of affection or attention, downplaying accomplishments, achievemephobia (fear of success), atychiphobia (fear of failure) and denial of competence and capability.

Research suggests factors like gender and race can increase the likelihood of experiencing imposter syndrome, with women and people of color at greater risk as they are more likely to be underrepresented in their place of work.

Valerie Young, a psychologist and an expert on imposter syndrome, has identified five distinct types: The perfectionist (one who feels shame if any task is completed less than perfect), the expert (one who feels failure for a minor lack of knowledge), the soloist (a person who feels shame if they need to ask for help), the natural genius (someone who feels failure if they aren’t immediately an expert at a particular skill) and the superhuman (one who feels shame if they fall short in any of the multiple roles they juggle).

About 70% of people will experience imposter syndrome in their lives, research has indicated.

To overcome imposter syndrome, Cleveland Clinic recommends talking to a therapist, opening up to loved ones, no longer comparing yourself with others and taking note of your accomplishments.

Key Background

Psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes first coined “imposter phenomenon” in 1978 after observing self-doubt in both themselves and other women. Their paper, “The Impostor Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention” found that women in their sample were prone to fear that they would be found out as “intellectual impostors.” Clance has since authored The Impostor Phenomenon, a book published in 1985, and created the “imposter test” to help people determine if they have characteristics of imposter phenomenon. In the decades since their initial research, The New Yorker reported “imposter syndrome” has reached a new level of cultural relevance in the age of social media, citing many self-help books and articles their work has inspired.

Chief Critics

Some writers and researchers have pushed back on the idea of “imposter syndrome.” In a Harvard Business Review article, “Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome,” Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey argue women and women of color feel exclusion and self-doubt because of systemic bias and obstacles. Imposter syndrome instead places the blame on the individual instead of examining the cultural and historical context, they write. Clance and Imies told The New Yorker they agreed with many of the claims in the Harvard Business Review article, adding their research was limited and imposter syndrome is sometimes misinterpreted as an actual diagnosable syndrome.

News Peg

At Tennessee State University’s commencement ceremony this weekend, Oprah Winfrey warned students graduating from her alma mater against imposter syndrome. “Do not let the world make an ‘imposter syndrome’ out of you,” she said. She also fiercely criticized gun violence and praised the Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled after protesting for gun control.

Tangent

Like many other mental health terms, imposter syndrome has attracted attention on TikTok. The hashtag #impostersyndrome has more than 260 million views on the platform, mostly consisting of videos where users discuss their feelings of self-doubt and offer tips about how to overcome these feelings. Some of the most popular videos under the hashtag include one user who says she feels “dumb having to learn new things as the newbie” at work, while another discusses struggling with imposter syndrome as a graphic designer because she’s a perfectionist. Julie Smith, a TikTok user with 4.4 million followers whose profile says she is a clinical psychologist, has posted videos on imposter syndrome, including one where she lists common signs like attributing success to luck instead of ability and perfectionism.