Cambridge, MA, Jan. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What do former first lady Michelle Obama, actor Tom Hanks, and former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz have in common? They’ve all admitted to struggling with “impostor syndrome,” believing they are not as competent or talented as others think.
In recent years, this experience has been a hot topic in contexts ranging from corporate boardrooms to Hollywood. Now, a new paper from MIT Sloan School of Management assistant professor Basima Tewfik reveals that “impostor syndrome” — or, as it’s more accurately known, the “impostor phenomenon”—is often mischaracterized.
In their new research paper, Tewfik and co-authors Jeremy Yip from Georgetown University and Sean R. Martin from the University of Virginia unpack the complexities of the impostor phenomenon through a review of 316 peer-reviewed articles and books spanning diverse disciplines. Their findings, forthcoming in the Academy of Management Annals academic journal and currently published online, point to a lack of clarity around what the impostor phenomenon is, challenge prevailing assumptions, and identify opportunities for future exploration.
(Re)defining impostor phenomenon
To understand an experience, you must first define it, Tewfik noted. But in the case of the impostor phenomenon, that’s easier said than done. The term “impostor phenomenon” was first coined in 1978 by American psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes. Early on the impostor phenomenon was described as a cognitive experience —the belief that others overestimate one's competence. "The classic thought is, 'Other people think I'm smarter than I am,'" said Tewfik.
Over time, however, the language used to describe it shifted from thoughts to feelings. Today, the researchers report, impostor phenomenon is often conflated with emotions like anxiety, fear of exposure, and lack of belonging. This lack of clarity muddies the waters and makes it difficult to progress meaningful research.
"It's great that people are having these conversations but to understand the consequences of this phenomenon, we have to get really clear about what we're talking about and adopt a solid definition focused on the cognitive experience rather than feelings we already know a lot about,” said Tewfik. “To this end, we need new terminology; we suggest using the term ‘workplace impostor thoughts.’"
Four impostor phenomenon myths debunked
In studying the published research on the impostor phenomenon, Tewfik and colleagues found that the literature draws heavily on assumptions that lack empirical support. The researchers have identified four incorrect assumptions, with implications for workplace success.
Myth 1: The impostor phenomenon is permanent. In the popular press, the impostor phenomenon is often portrayed as a trait — something unchanging and inherent: Either you’re stuck with it or you’re immune. Tewfik’s team found the phenomenon to be more fluid.
“It’s actually a lot more dynamic. In my research, I use the term ‘workplace impostor thoughts’: One can experience these thoughts sometimes but not others,” she said. “It’s not something you’re stuck with, and I think that it’s really important to move the needle in terms of how we talk about this.”
Myth 2: The impostor phenomenon is more prevalent among women or those with marginalized identities. In the popular press, and in academic literature, the focus has been on women’s experiences or only those who are Black or Asian American. The focus on women is likely because the earliest studies of the phenomenon in the 1970s focused on professional women. However, Tewfik and her co-authors found that, across studies, the impostor phenomenon affects women and men at similar rates. How people with marginalized identities experience the impostor phenomenon also isn’t definitive.
“This phenomenon is a human experience,” Tewfik said. “Instead, we should explore whether its consequences vary between groups.”
Myth 3: The impostor phenomenon is uniformly harmful. People in the workplace experiencing impostor phenomenon can exhibit decreased job satisfaction, decreased motivation, or potentially higher levels of depression. But those experiences might not be directly caused by the impostor phenomenon. “If I’m reporting negatively on one thing and you ask me about something else right after, there’s going to be some spillover, and I’ll report negatively on those other outcomes,” she said, describing the dynamic known as the halo effect. “Essentially, someone at work might feel unmotivated and also feel like an impostor, but they might not feel unmotivated because they’re an impostor.”
Myth 4: Impostor syndrome creates negative outcomes through harmful patterns of behavior. "Impostor thoughts tend to trigger negative feelings, so there’s an assumption that it must have negative consequences," said Tewfik.
In reality, the impact of the impostor phenomenon on performance is far from straightforward. While it can trigger negative emotions and lead to detrimental outcomes like reduced engagement, it can also have positive consequences, particularly in interpersonal contexts.
"People who report more frequent impostor thoughts tend to be better able to relate to others and perhaps behave more ethically,” said Tewfik.
While it’s good for managers to be aware if their employees are struggling with impostor thoughts, Tewfik said, it’s not a reason to panic. Instead, they should pay attention to where those employees sit in the organization and offer support as needed.
“Impostor thoughts are more problematic for employees who do a lot of solo work,” she said. “They’ll feel bad, which can lead them to disengage from the organization. For employees in more interpersonally focused roles, it’s likely to be a benefit.”
Finding a new path forward
One thing is clear to Tewfik — it’s time to take a more rigorous approach to studying the impostor phenomenon. She and her co-authors suggest a three-fold approach from their research findings.
First, academics should recenter the cognitive origins of the phenomenon to ensure that they’re all talking about the same experience. New terminology, like “workplace impostor thoughts,” might help in this effort, they say.
Second, researchers should re-examine commonly held assumptions. What we think may be true may not actually hold up upon examining the evidence.
And finally, they should expand their understanding of the impostor phenomenon by examining how it interacts with leadership, diversity, and identity — domains in which this phenomenon is likely to play a role.
Workplace Impostor Thoughts, Impostor Feelings, and Impostorism: An Integrative, Multidisciplinary Review of Research on the Impostor Phenomenon builds on Tewfik’s earlier research into the impostor phenomenon, which includes her earlier research paper, The Impostor Phenomenon Revisited: Examining the Relationship between Workplace Impostor Thoughts and Interpersonal Effectiveness at Work.
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Patricia Favreau MIT Sloan School of Management 617.595.8533 pfavreau@mit.edu Matthew Aliberti MIT Sloan School of Management 781.558.3436 malib@mit.edu
