You Asked, We Answered: Imposter Syndrome (Part One)

Understanding and Providing Support Around Imposter Syndrome

By Dr. Kayleigh-Ann Clegg, Clinical Psychologist

Every month Kii Health offers Ask an Expert webinars to its clients. At a recent session, Dr. Khush Amaria, Clinical Psychologist and Vice President of Clinical Services – Mental Health at Kii Health, and I focused on imposter syndrome. While not a diagnosable disorder, imposter syndrome is definitely a real experience – it is a combination of self-doubt and fear of exposure that many of us have or will experience at some point in our personal and especially professional lives. There were many great questions during the webinar; so many, in fact, that we couldn’t address them all within the allocated time. I’m following up to answer some of them for you now in a two-part series.

The first part of this series will answer general questions about imposter syndrome and about providing support for others. The second part will answer questions about how to manage your own imposter syndrome.

As always, please note that this is general information based on my clinical experience and my reading of current research and does not substitute for more personalized information specific to your situation.

Given the expectations towards women, are they more inclined to suffer from this syndrome?

Yes! Research suggests women tend to be more likely to experience imposter syndrome for many reasons, one of which includes evolving social norms and expectations (as well as a lack of representation). People from historically or presently marginalized groups, first-generation professionals or students, neurodiverse folks, and high-achieving individuals in competitive environments are also more likely to experience imposter syndrome for similar reasons. What’s particularly tricky is that if you’re in one of these groups, you may internalize feelings of not belonging or not being good enough, when really, those feelings are often rooted in systemic or social dynamics, not personal inadequacy.

Is it possible that perfectionism or imposter syndrome can impact our functioning or our work?

Yes, absolutely. Both perfectionism (having extremely high, often unrealistic standards for yourself) and imposter syndrome can impact functioning and work performance.

Research suggests that perfectionism can have differential effects on functioning and work performance depending on what type of perfectionism it is. Personal standards perfectionism involves setting high standards for yourself and working hard to attain goals that are important and meaningful to you. Self-critical perfectionism also involves setting high standards for yourself, but includes an intense fear of failure and a tendency to be excessively negative and harsh towards yourself. Self-critical perfectionism tends to be more closely related to imposter syndrome. It tends to have more negative effects on functioning and work performance (whereas personal standards perfectionism can actually lead to better functioning and performance). The gist: having high standards for yourself isn’t necessarily a problem and can even benefit you, especially when it’s not driven by fear or because you’re pursuing self-worth through performance. It’s the excessive, unwarranted self-doubt and how you treat yourself that can really get in the way.

Does the sociological/criminological labelling theory play a part in imposter syndrome?

Labelling theory essentially says that when we’re constantly told and treated like we’re a certain way, sometimes we end up behaving that way, in a self-fulfilling prophecy. The research is mixed on whether things really play out like that when it comes to crime and criminality. When it comes to imposter syndrome, research by psychologist Carol Dweck on mindset comes to mind.

This research suggests that children who, among other things, were praised more for innate ability (e.g., “You’re so smart! You’re a natural!”) are more likely to develop a fixed mindset about their intelligence and abilities (i.e., you either have it or you don’t). In contrast, children who were praised more for effort (e.g., “You worked really hard on that! You’ve really made progress on that! What a cool, creative way to solve that problem!”) are more likely to develop a growth mindset (i.e., you can increase your intelligence and abilities through effort, persistence, and learning).

A fixed mindset leaves you more vulnerable to imposter syndrome. It makes you more likely to struggle with setbacks, avoid challenges, and doubt your abilities, especially when you inevitably encounter bumps in the road. If you’re consistently labelled as “naturally smart”, you can come to believe your worth depends on living up to that label, and all that pressure can really get to you.

This can also create a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy: people with fixed mindsets are more likely to underperform – not because they’re less capable, but because they may fall into self-defeating patterns like procrastinating, overworking to the point of burnout, or avoiding asking questions about a project or asking for help out of fear of being “found out.” 

If you think you might have a more fixed mindset, don’t despair! Research also suggests that with time, effort, and persistence, you can cultivate more of a growth mindset and reap its benefits.

How do you support someone else who might be impacted by imposter syndrome and self-doubt?

First, don’t resort to being unendingly, unwarrantedly complimentary – this can make genuine compliments harder to buy. Instead, make a point of building trust by being honest, kind, and fair. When negative feedback is warranted, give it in a constructive, kind, and actionable way. Give positive feedback, praise, or compliments that are genuine and heartfelt. Praise effort, progress, and growth more than outcomes.

Second, show confidence in their abilities through behaviours. Ask their opinion and perspective on things that they have expertise in. Involve them in relevant projects. Support and encourage them to take opportunities to grow if they show doubt in their abilities (but respect their boundaries and don’t push).

Finally, recognize your limits and your role. You can be supportive, kind, uplifting, transparent, and communicative, and that will go a long way. It won’t, however, guarantee self-confidence for someone. We all have our stuff to work through.

For young people, how can we congratulate them to enable them to have good self-esteem, without making them “dependent” on the recognition of others?

This is such a thoughtful question, and especially important to ask yourself if you work with or care for young people or have children. First, I do think it’s very nearly impossible to completely divorce ourselves or our young people from some degree of dependence on the recognition of others. We’re a social species – we evolved and survived in part through our ability to form groups and find safety in numbers. Caring about how others saw us helped keep us alive. That said, it is important and worthwhile not to be overly dependent on the recognition of others, to develop a stable sense of self that doesn’t wither or bloom when people’s opinions of us fluctuate. To cultivate that in young people, consider things like:

• Focusing praise and recognition on effort, progress, learning, and growth;
• Making feedback specific, constructive, and actionable (i.e., about things that they can work on or change);
• Fostering independence and autonomy by asking questions rather than giving all the answers;
• Providing support, not rescue, when they go through challenges (unless we’re talking life or death, or permanently life-altering negative consequences); and,
• Encouraging open-mindedness, curiosity, and perspective-taking by exploring and learning about the world and different walks of life.

Stay tuned for part 2 – and if you find yourself grappling with imposter syndrome or its consequences, don’t hesitate to reach out. Kii Health offers a range of supports that can help you improve your well-being and build your confidence.