Imposture Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is a phenomenon that is characterized as not being able to convince oneself that the accomplishments that one makes are because of their own intelligence and competency. People that have this syndrome often are unable to take credit for their work and are the harshest towards their work when it comes to critiques. Imposter syndrome can be seen as the umbrella for a lot of counterproductive actions such as procrastination because of wanting something to be perfect, but not thinking what one does will ever be good enough so avoidance of the project occurs.
There are five different types of imposter syndrome that people can fall under. The first branch would be perfectionism. Perfectionists often set over the top goals for themselves and if they don’t reach those goals, they are likely to doubt everything they are doing. Those who struggle with perfectionism also have difficulty with delegating work to lighten their workload because of their need to make sure things are done in the way that they want it done. Perfectionists with imposter syndrome have more of that need to do things on their own but also feel as if they aren’t able to meet their own standards. Another branch of imposter syndrome is when a person is able to do it all, they do above and beyond all the time and are always pushing themselves to do more to reach a goal. This is what is termed as a Superwoman/man/person. Someone who is a Superwoman/man/person will stay later than everyone in the group so they can work longer and harder to help them feel that they measure up. A person who fits in this category uses their work to hide the imposter syndrome so that they have consistent back up or “proof” that they do work hard. Next in line is the “Natural” or the genius. Someone who is a natural is going to find things come easy, and when they don’t or aren’t able to control a situation, or when something doesn’t come easy to them, the automatic reaction is shame because they’ve built their reputation on being a natural. So when something isn’t an easy click for the “Natural,” they lose confidence in their abilities for everything and feel like a fraud.
Now, these are only a few of the branches within the umbrella of imposter syndrome, there is so much more that is attached to this, but the main commonality is that the person doesn’t feel like they or their work measures up, or that they have to work harder to measure up so that people don’t believe they’re a fraud. Imposter syndrome is among the most common symptoms in those with depression and anxiety, and the most common group one can find imposter syndrome resides the most with is college students. College students are the group that struggle with this because they are just starting to figure out what they want to do and are being introduced to a whole new environment to adapt into. The feeling of needing to make an impact and achieve so many goals within the college setting, especially for those who deal with imposter syndrome, causes students to feel like their work is not to their standards.
Imposter syndrome creates a cycle of working harder to reach expectations that goes hand in hand with then not believing the work is good or that one is as competent as they appear. Having this syndrome is a product of environment as well as a persons personality, for example a college student who grew up in a high achievement standard environment would most likely develop imposter syndrome because the work they create doesn’t ever feel like it shows their true potential. Those who suffer from imposter syndrome find ways of coping through self-affirmations, taking baby steps in the direction of positive self-talk when thinking about achievements, as well as sharing the feelings one has so that there can be support.
- Written by Kylie Hamacher, Undergraduate Intern
References
Imposter syndrome - psychology Today. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/imposter-syndrome
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Feel like a fraud? American Psychological Association. Retrieved February 19, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2013/11/fraud
Wilding, M. J. (2022, January 24). 5 types of imposter syndrome and how to stop them. The Muse. Retrieved February 19, 2022, from https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-different-types-of-imposter-syndrome-and-5-ways-to-battle-each-one
Cuncic, A. (2021, November 23). How to stop feeling like an outsider when you have social anxiety. Verywell Mind. Retrieved February 19, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469