Impostor phenomenon and mental health: The influence of racial discrimination and gender.

Chronic exposure to negative race-related experiences that emphasize minoritized status may intensify intellectual incompetence cognitions and increase poor psychological adjustment risk at PWIs.

“IP research conducted at PWIs suggests that chronic exposure to negative race-related experiences that emphasize one’s minoritized and marginalized status may play a central role in intensifying cognitions of intellectual incompetence, thus increasing risk for poor psychological adjustment (Bernard et al., 2017; Cokley et al., 2017).”

IP is a risk factor for poor psychological adjustment among Black emerging adults.

“The impostor phenomenon (IP), or erroneous cognitions of intellectual incompetence, is a risk factor for poor psychological adjustment among Black emerging adults.”

Cross-sectional and longitudinal literature links IP to poorer psychological adjustment, including more distress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, and lower self-esteem.

“cross-sectional and longitudinal literature has linked IP to poor psychological adjustment outcomes including increases in psychological distress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, and decreases in self-esteem (Austin et al., 2009; Bernard et al., 2017; Cokley et al., 2017; Lige et al., 2017; McClain et al., 2016; Peteet et al., 2015).”

IP may be especially salient in predominantly non-Black settings.

“as evidence suggests that IP may be particularly salient within settings that are predominantly non-Black (Bernard et al., 2017; Peteet et al., 2015)”

The CIPS total score showed internal consistency in the present sample (α = .92), consistent with prior Black samples (α .91-.93).

“Studies utilizing the total scores of the CIPS within predominately Black samples have reported Cronbach’s alphas ranging from .91 to .93 (Bernard et al., 2017; Cokley et al., 2013), which is in line with the present study (α = .92).”