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Impostor Phenomenon in Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Groups: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

Cokley, Kevin O., Bernard, Donte L., Stone-Sabali, Steven, Awad, Germine H.·2024·Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
DOI 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081122-015724PMC PMC11245362
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Abstract

In recent years there has been a surge of research conducted on the impostor phenomenon, with approximately half of all impostor phenomenon articles being published between 2020 and 2022 and growing interest in understanding how the impostor phenomenon affects racially and ethnically minoritized individuals. Questions around intersectionality remain about how to apply the impostor phenomenon to the experiences of minoritized individuals. In this review, we revisit the historical context of the impostor phenomenon. We address issues of nomenclature and current controversies regarding whether the impostor phenomenon (a) blames the victim, (b) should be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and (c) is beneficial for individuals. In addition, we address the limitations of current research on racially and ethnically minoritized individuals, especially women of color. Finally, we conclude by discussing the need for a reconceptualized racialized impostor phenomenon as well as the need to establish new impostor phenomenon measures, conduct more quantitative research with diverse samples, and create culturally tailored interventions.

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Metadata

Authors
Cokley, K. O., Bernard, D. L., Stone-Sabali, S., & Awad, G. H.
Affiliations
  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; email: kcokley@umich.edu
  • 2Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
  • 3Department of Educational Studies, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
  • 4Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Venue
Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
Publisher
Annual Reviews
Published
2024-07-12
Volume
20
Issue
1
Pages
407-430
ISSN
  • 1548-5943
  • 1548-5951
DOI
10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081122-015724
PMC
PMC11245362
Cited by
35
References
23
Language
en
Licence
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (unspecified)

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Impostor Phenomenon in Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Groups: Current Knowledge and Future Directions. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081122-015724
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Cokley, K. O., Bernard, D. L., Stone-Sabali, S., & Awad, G. H. (2024). Impostor Phenomenon in Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Groups: Current Knowledge and Future Directions. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081122-015724