Doing Battle with

Imposter Syndrome
Dr. Sabrina K. Pasztor
Lecturer, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism

March 2, 2023
Introduction
Who am I?

Am I enough?

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Your Turn –
Share with a partner
and/or Take the Zoom Poll!
1. Prior to today’s workshop, had you heard
of imposter syndrome?

2. Do you think you have you experienced it?

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Agenda
Defining Imposter Syndrome
When and Where – Recognizing it
Impact on You and Your Career
Strategies – Combatting it

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Defining it
What is imposter syndrome?

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 Defining it
• A collection of feelings that you’ll be discovered as
a fraud, despite evidence of competency,
accomplishment and success.

• 'Imposters’ may suffer from chronic self-doubt and

a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any
feelings of success or external proof of their competence.

• Imposter feelings represent a conflict between your

own self-perception and the way others perceive you.

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Who is impacted?
Typically impacts high-achievers and individuals who are good
at what they do and are regarded as such.

Disproportionately impacts women, people of color

High impact in STEM fields (PhD Students, Faculty)

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What does Imposter Syndrome mean?
“To me it means not feeling like you are qualified/skilled to
do the work that you've been asked to do or are currently
doing… "

“The feeling that you’re actually not qualified for the

position you are in and that no one knows it but you.”

COMPETENCY VS. CONFIDENCE VS.

SELF-CRITIQUE
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What does Imposter Syndrome mean?
“An overwhelming and constant feeling of not being
qualified or prepared for working or existing in a certain
space. It comes with a lot of anxiety when working in that
space and a strong impression that everyone else is moving
through it comfortably.”

“Imposter syndrome can describe deep feelings of

inadequacy, that you don't belong or really deserve the
successes you are achieving or experiencing. That it must
be the result of luck or influence other than your own merit
or work, which is surely not the case for other people in
similar positions around you.”

COMPARISON TO OTHERS
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When and Where
can imposter syndrome occur?

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ANYWHERE
ANYTIME
70% of employees have identified as having it in a recent Gallup Poll (2019)

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The Cycle
Praised for talents,
So, you strive for perfection
but attribute that
and work harder or you
to good luck
“downshift”/procrastinate out
and timing
of fear of not being perfect

Guilt
Minor errors reinforce the
idea that you lack ability Anxiety You think the praise is
not due to your merits
or intelligence Depression and fear others will find
that out

You attain more accomplishments, So, you strive for

but they fail to reassure you. It’s all perfection and
part of the process of maintaining work harder
what you perceive as the “illusion"
of your success.

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 https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Measuring-the-impostor-
phenomenon%3A-a-comparison-of-Holmes-
Kertay/6f665aae2a863abaf397769921fe36d5758dc084

https://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPTestandscoring.pdf

How do we assess it?

Measuring it Imposter Syndrome Test
• Many different “tests” to assess
• No one gold standard
• Clance Imposter Syndrome Test (CIPS) is
most popular
• 20 questions ranked on “very true”
to “not at all true”
• I can give the impression that I’m more
competent than I really am.
• When people praise me for something
I’ve accomplished, I’m afraid I won’t be
able to live up to their expectations of me
in the future.
• I’m afraid people important to me may
find out that I’m not as capable as they
think I am.
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Impact on You
and your Career
Experiences in the Workplace

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Research shows...Individual level:
Stronger imposter feelings in working professionals are associated with:
• Lower levels of job satisfaction
• Perfectionistic concern over mistakes and anxiety
✓ less control, greater anxiety, more negative affect and greater concern over mistakes than
non-impostors.
✓ More critical self-evaluation of one’s performance (Thompson, Foreman, and Martin, 2000)
• Individuals with imposter syndrome tend to rank/rate themselves lower on competencies in
comparison to their peers
• “low-balling”: form of self-sabotage/gender bias

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Research shows...Organizational level:
Stronger imposter feelings in working professionals are associated with:
• Lower organizational citizenship behaviors—discretionary actions that benefit colleagues and the
organization
• Higher continuance commitment, that is, higher perceived costs of leaving their organization
(Mak, Kleitman and Abbott, 2019)

✓ Positive aspects: strong interpersonal skills

• “When feeling under threat, [imposters] try and shift attention to another domain. They
unconsciously shift their attention and pay attention to others. As a result, they appear to other
people as having highly interpersonal skills.”
• “Other-focused” orientation can fuel workplace connections, because it paves the way for
coworkers and managers to view them as “socially adept,” “sensitive,” and “charming.” (Tefwik, 2022)

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Strategies
to do battle

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Turn it on its Head - MANTRA
• Remind yourself that high-achieving, smart, and talented people often deal with
imposter syndrome.

• Therefore, the very fact that you recognize it in your thoughts says a lot about you.

I am smart. I am talented. I am capable. I am enough.

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Challenge the Doubts –
FIND THE FACTS
• Separate feelings from facts. Just because it enters your brain as a thought does not
make it true. Feelings are also meant to pass.

• When the imposter feelings surface, ask yourself whether any actual facts support
these beliefs. Then, look for pieces of evidence to counter them.

• For example: Imagine you’re considering applying for a position or a grant/funding

award, but you don’t think you have what it takes. Maybe you made a small mistake
on a project a year ago, but it still troubles you. Or maybe you think colleagues who
praise your work do it just because they feel sorry for you.

• Stop and think about the facts: Tricking all of your colleagues/peers would be pretty
difficult, and poor work probably wouldn’t go unnoticed long term.
• If you consistently receive encouragement and recognition, that’s a good sign you’re moving in
the right direction— and deserve a chance for promotion.

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Take Note of Accomplishments
Have a tangible reminder of your successes.

• Save emails that acknowledge your hard work

• If someone sends you an email or visual ‘commendation’, save it/look
at it as often as needed
• W rite down your accomplishments that highlight your strengths
– “kudos journal”

• Read those notes when things are tough

• Remember: what YOU think, believe, aspire to, and work towards is ENOUGH

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Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others
• Focus on your accomplishments instead of how they compare with other people’s

• Remember that everyone is unique and has different abilities and their own path

• It’s easy to think someone may have it all together without knowing their
whole story

• Instead of allowing other people’s success to highlight your imperfections,

consider exploring ways to develop the skills that interest you

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Acknowledge your Feelings
Identifying and acknowledging your feelings can make the feelings feel less overwhelming
and remind us, “Feelings are not facts”

• Build an “emotions portfolio” to increase your self-compassion:

• Create a worksheet for each emotion you identify (joy, gratitude, serenity,
interest, hope, pride, inspiration, awe, love, etc.) based on memories, images,
and even songs that come to mind.

• Ask yourself a series of questions for each emotion to prompt your thinking. For
example, hope:
• When have you felt full of optimism and hope?
• When have you feared the worst but still believed something good would happen?
• When have you found an inventive way to try to create a better future?

• Keep the portfolios up to date and engage

with them at regular intervals (Fredrickson, 2010)
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Establish a support network
Turn to friends, family, academic peers, coworkers, etc. to create a
network of mutual support. Your network can:
• Replace negative self-talk
• Offer support and guidance
• Validate your strengths and skills
• Encourage your growth
• Reinforce your sense of belonging

“I began to make stronger connections with the members on my team

and was able to identify a few things that made me feel like I belonged there.
Finding ways to feel integrated and valued as a team member has been
very helpful for getting past the imposter syndrome.”

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Establish a support network
Seek out a mentor:

• Reach out to a coach, peer, or senior colleague for help

navigating difficult and intimidating situations and
environments

• If possible, seek out a mentor who matches your gender,

sexual orientation, ethnicity, or with whom you connect on
a different level

“The advice I would give would be to just talk about it openly.

Knowing that these same kinds of feelings affect other people
provides a source of comfort. I now know that talking about it
provides a greater understanding of yourself and others.”

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Talk to a Therapist
A therapist can help support with:

• Overcoming feelings of unworthiness or perceived deception

• Addressing depression, anxiety, or other emotional distress

• Challenging and reframing unwanted beliefs

• Creating an action plan for moving forward and creating new behaviors

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Break down goals and projects
• Try not to let projects overwhelm you – break them in to manageable pieces

• Set a timeline/deadline for each component/piece to reduce perfectionism

• Remind yourself what you are doing is “good enough”

• Instead of allowing other people’s success to highlight your imperfections,

consider exploring ways to develop the skills that interest you.

“I think the best thing I have been doing to combat it is to just keep moving
forward and trying to hone in on goals and techniques I want to achieve and
improve upon.”

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It’s OK to Not Know
• Remind yourself that it’s ok to not know what you’re doing

• After any big life event, like starting a new job, earning a promotion, or going
back to school, there's a steep learning curve

• Don’t hide and think you are unqualified; instead, think of yourself as someone who
is learning and gaining expertise. When you are enthusiastic about learning, people
will respect that and cut you slack.

“Don't let the fear of failure keep you from trying. You'll succeed. You truly will. You are
not defined by your work or ability. What someone says about the work you do is not
a direct reflection of you, your character, value or worth. As much as it may feel like an
affront/attack to you, it is not. You are valuable simply for being you.”

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Look in the mirror
• Often, imposter feelings are rooted in not having a clear sense of how others see us.
Consider taking an assessment to gain a better understanding of your:

• Strengths/innate talents: Gallup Clifton StrengthsFinder

• Values in Action:VIA Character Strengths Survey

• Check in regularly with yourself via journaling/worksheets to help increase

your self-awareness, self-compassion, and growth:
https://positivepsychology.com/imposter-syndrome-tests-worksheets/

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 Break Down Barriers
-FIGHT THE SYSTEM
• Recognize that the systems in which we operate are inherently flawed,
biased, and in need of institutional change

• Tackle persistent stereotypes in society – women are still socialized towards

greater self-doubt

• Increase diversity across professions and ranked levels – combat gender

inequities/disparities (in pay, career progression, recognition, journal article
publication, hiring/recruitment practices)

• PhD faculty, mentors, advisers, and administrators should be cognizant of the

triggers that could give rise to the impostor phenomenon among their students.
Professional development activities for students could focus on earlier and
more rigorous training for improving scientific communication
(Chakraverty, 2020)

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Questions?

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Stand in your own space and
know you are there.
Anson Heigel

You are enough.

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Thank you
Dr. Sabrina K. Pasztor
spasztor@usc.edu

A special thanks to Dr. Leah Lebowicz, EdD, CMI, University of Illinois at Chicago,
Director, MS in Biomedical Visualization Program for study participants quotations
and content on when imposter syndrome can occur, institutionalized bias, and strategies.
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Resources
Asare, J. G. (2020, January 29). Four ways to overcome imposter syndrome. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2020/01/29/4-ways-
to-overcome-imposter-syndrome/

Cleveland Clinic. (2021, February 24). A psychologist explains how to deal with imposter syndrome: Tips for getting out of your own way and taking
ownership of your success.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/a-psychologist-explains-how-to-deal-with-imposter-syndrome/

Feenstra, S., Begeny, C. T., Ryan, M. K., Rink, F. A., Stoker, J. I., & Jordan, J. (2020). Contextualizing the impostor “syndrome".
Frontiers in psychology, 11, 575024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575024

Hendriksen, E. (2017, August 8). Nine ways to fight imposter syndrome. Psychology Today.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-be-yourself/201708/nine-ways-fight-impostor-syndrome

MindTools. (n.d.). Imposter syndrome: Facing fears of inadequacy. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/overcoming-impostor- syndrome.htm

Pietrangelo, A. (2020, September 30). Explaining the fear of success. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/fear-of- success

Raypole, C. (2021, April 16). You’re not a fraud: Here’s how to recognize and overcome imposter syndrome. Healthline.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/imposter-syndrome

Webster, A. (2019, November 24). Five effective exercises to help you beat imposter syndrome. LeadCredibly.
https://leadcredibly.com/5-effective-exercises-to-help-you-beat-imposter-syndrome/

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Resources
https://uosc.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=cdi_crossref_primary_10_1016_S0191_8869_99_00218_4&contex
t=PC&vid=01USC_INST:01USC&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Primo%20Central&tab=Everything&mode=Basic

Mak, Kleitmen and Abbott, 2019: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00671/full

https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome
https://hbr.org/2021/07/end-imposter-syndrome-in-your-workplace
https://journals.aom.org/doi/full/10.5465/amj.2020.1627.summary?_zs=uMhxP1&_zl=nqTi6
Thompson, Foreman, and Martin (2000):
https://uosc.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=cdi_crossref_primary_10_1016_S0191_8869_99_00218_4&context=PC&vid=01USC_INST:0
1USC&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Primo%20Central&tab=Everything&mode=Basic
The Impostor Phenomenon Revisited: Examining the Relationship between Workplace Impostor Thoughts and Interpersonal
Effectiveness at Work

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/13/the-dubious-rise-of-impostor-syndrome

Chakraverty and Cotner (2022). Faculty Experiences of the Impostor Phenomenon in STEM Fields. Published Online:27 Oct 2022
https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-10-0307

Chakraverty (2020). Ph.D Student Eexperiences with Imposter Syndrome in STEM: chrome-
extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ijds.org/Volume15/IJDSv15p159-179Chakraverty6025.pdf

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