Impostor Syndrome

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The impostor syndrome , sometimes also called impostor syndrome , impostor phenomenon , sham syndrome or cheat phenomenon , is a psychological phenomenon in which those affected are plagued by massive self-doubts about their own abilities, achievements and successes and are unable to understand their own Internalize successes .

Despite the obvious evidence of their abilities, those affected are convinced that they stole their success and did not deserve it. Achievements that are viewed as successes by fellow human beings are explained by those affected by this symptom with luck, chance or with the overestimation of their own abilities by others. In some of these people, these self-doubt are marked in such a way that they themselves for impostor hold and live in constant fear that others might notice their supposed lack of qualifications and expose them as frauds.

background

The term " impostor syndrome" (original: " Impostor phenomenon ") was first introduced in 1978 in an article by Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes. They observed that many very successful women believe that they are not particularly intelligent and that their achievements are overrated by others. Originally, the impostor phenomenon was viewed as a personality trait that is invariably given; however, more recently it has also been viewed as a response to certain stimuli and events. As such, it is not classified as a mental disorder . Certain groups of people have been shown to be more susceptible to the syndrome, but it is not viewed as an actual personality trait .

distribution

Psychological studies from the 1980s estimate that two in five successful people consider themselves to be impostors. Other studies suggest that 70 percent of people feel like impostors under certain circumstances or times.

Demographics

Impostor syndrome was originally thought to be a phenomenon among successful women. However, a number of studies show that men and women are affected in roughly equal numbers. Another affected group (in the US) is that of African Americans. Affirmative action can help the preferred minority gain the impression that their abilities were not the reason they were hired. In addition, the imposter syndrome was identified in graduates and aspiring scientists.

Possible causes

The attribution style of those affected by impostor syndrome is gender-independent and specific to performance situations: successes are mainly attributed to external causes (luck, chance) and failures to internal ones (lack of ability). It could be empirically shown that social situations are not affected by this explanatory pattern, but only those that are connected with performance content. These findings provide indications of the independence of the syndrome by empirically confirming theoretical assumptions made by the psychologist Clance. However, women are more likely to believe that they are being watched more closely than their male counterparts.

therapy

The most effective therapy for overcoming impostor syndrome is to realize that it exists.

Cognitive behavioral therapy : This approach looks at the thought process that leads to the person concerned not recognizing their own successes. There are certain assumptions that need to be overcome, such as the belief that a single mistake will put one's abilities into question. The approach tries to make the patient aware of negative and destructive thoughts and to avoid them. As soon as the person has recognized this, they are basically able to compare these thoughts with objective facts and to recognize the distortions in their thinking. However, this therapy is not without controversy.

Other methods: Writing therapy allows the person to better organize their thoughts. Once the person can see their successes instead of just evaluating them internally in their heads, using this method they will be better able to realistically evaluate the successes. The text can also serve as a reminder of past accomplishments.

See also

Web links

English links :

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Joe Langford, Pauline R. Clance: The imposter phenomenon. Recent research findings regarding dynamics, personality and family patterns and their implications for treatment. In: Psychotherapy. Theory, research, practice, training. Volume 30, No. 3, pp. 495–501, doi: 10.1037 / 0033-3204.30.3.495 ( paulineroseclance.com PDF, 620 kB)
  2. ↑ Jaruwan Sakulku, James Alexander: The Impostor Phenomenon. In: International Journal of Behavioral Science. 2011, Vol. 6, No.1, pp. 73 - 92, doi: 10.14456 / ijbs.2011.6 .
  3. ^ Rodney L. Lowman: Patterns of undercommitment. In: RL Lowman: Counseling and psychotherapy of work dysfunctions . American Psychological Association (1993), pp. 74-82 , doi: 10.1037 / 10133-004 . ISBN 1-55798-204-X .
  4. ↑ a b : Pauline R. Clance, Suzanne A. Imes women The impostor phenomenon in high Achieving. Dynamics and therapeutic intervention . In: Psychotherapy. Theory, Research, and Practice . 1978.
  5. ^ Sibylle Anderl: The subjective imposture of the successful. Frankfurter Allgemeine , November 1, 2012 (archive).
  6. ^ Rory O'Brien McElwee, Tricia J. Yurak :: The Phenomenology Of The Impostor Phenomenon . In: HW Wilson (Ed.): Individual Differences Research . tape 8 , no. 3 , October 5, 2012, p. 184-197 .
  7. ↑ LV Anderson: Feeling Like an Impostor Is Not a Syndrome - It's a totally normal part of experiencing success. In: The Ladder , Online Magazine: April 12, 2016, Washington, DC, USA ( archive ).
  8. ↑ Elizabeth M. Vera, Veronica Vasquez, Rebecca Corona: "Women of Color" in: Encyclopaedia of Multicultural Psychology (2006); Pages 475-480.
  9. ↑ Lucas Laursen: No, You're Not an Impostor. In: Science Careers . February 15, 2008 ( archive ).
  10. ↑ Ted Thompson, Helen Davis, John Davidson: Attributional and affective responses of impostors to academic success and failure outcomes . In: Personality and Individual Differences . tape 25 , no. 2 , August 1, 1998, pp. 381-396 , doi : 10.1016 / S0191-8869 (98) 00065-8 .
  11. ↑ Kay Brauer, Annegret Wolf: Validation of the German-language Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (GCIPS) . In: Personality and Individual Differences . tape 102 , July 8, 2016, p. 153–158 , doi : 10.1016 / j.paid.2016.06.071 (print version November 2016).
  12. ↑ PR Clance: Successful losers. The impostor phenomenon. (=  Heyne Books / 17 . No. 10 ). 1st edition. Heyne, 1988, ISBN 3-453-00630-5 .
  13. ↑ Kristina Pezzei: Impostor Syndrome: I didn't deserve it. Many career people never think their own performance is good enough and cannot enjoy professional success. Such an inferiority complex is encouraging - but it is dangerous. Süddeutsche Zeitung dated: May 17, 2010. ( Archive ).
  14. ^ Lynda L. Moore: Not As Far As You Think: The Realities of Working Women . Lexington Books, Lexington, Mass 1986.