Impostor Syndrome with Women in Science

Abstract

The word impostor syndrome was first described by Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes as a persistent psychological experience of perceived intellectual and professional fraudulence, after observing many high-achieving women who tended to believe they were not competent. Impostor syndrome or impostor phenomenon is when people experience being an impostor and the thoughts and feelings elicited by such experience. It was thought to occur more frequently in women than in men, but gender tends to be insignificant with regard to the severity of impostor syndrome. Women found in the fields of pure and applied science, engineering, animal and human health, and technology, fields perceived as more of male dominated, often experience impostor syndrome. This chapter examines what impostor syndrome is or is not, causation factors, types, its characteristics, and how female scientists harness the feeling of being an impostor in order to restore a positive feeling. Thus, a greater understanding of what impostor syndrome is and its characteristics may lead to effective interventions that will reduce its consequences and some psychological distress associated with it, increase job satisfaction, and enhance performance in workplaces.