Selbstmanagement Imposter Syndrome
The term ‘impostor syndrome’ (often spelled 'imposter syndrome') was first coined in 1978 by clinical psychologists Dr. Pauline R. Clance and Dr. Suzanne A. Imes.
Their research identified three elements:
1. A feeling that others have a mistakenly high view of your abilities
2. A fear of being exposed or found out
3. A tendency to downplay success, attributing it to luck or disproportionate effort
The condition is characterized by feelings of self-doubt, incompetence and a lack of belonging combined with low self-esteem, unworthiness and a desire to downplay achievements. If the description of any of the elements listed above sounds familiar to you, or if you ever feel that your peers have earned their position or reputation through merit, but that you somehow got where you are by mistake, chances are high that you may be experiencing impostor syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome diagnostic self-assessment
If you would like to find out whether or not you might be suffering from imposter syndrome you may want to try the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale and scoring instruction (CIPS), a diagnostic test conceived by Dr. Pauline R. Clance. A CIPS score of under 40 indicates few characteristics of the condition, while a score of 40–60 is classed as ‘moderate’, 61–80 ‘frequent’ and more than 80 ‘intense’.
The test was used for survey of more than 1000 researchers published in 2019 by Ashley R. Vaughn et al.
Confirming earlier observations, high levels of impostor syndrome were found in female academics. Interestingly, the survey also asked respondents about their sources of motivation and their perceived reasons for past successes and failures (for a commentary see article „High levels of impostor syndrome found in female academics“).
The test was used for survey of more than 1000 researchers published in 2019 by Ashley R. Vaughn et al. Confirming earlier observations, high levels of impostor syndrome were found in female academics. Interestingly, the survey also asked respondents about their sources of motivation and their perceived reasons for past successes and failures (for a commentary see Emma Stoye on March 11, 2019).