1. Feel like a fraud? Impostor Syndrome: what is it and how to defeat it
UW SACNAS General Meeting
April 11th, 2017
Macarena S. Aloi

2. Impostor Syndrome
Suzanne Imes, PhD, and Pauline Rose Clance, PhD, in the 1970s
Occurs among high achievers who are unable to internalize and accept their success.
attribute their accomplishments to luck rather than to ability.
fear that others will eventually unmask them as a fraud.
Though the impostor phenomenon isn't an official diagnosis listed in the DSM, psychologists and others acknowledge that it is a very real and specific form of intellectual self-doubt. Impostor feelings are generally accompanied by anxiety and, often, depression.
The impostor phenomenon seems to be more common among people who are embarking on a new endeavor, says Imes. In other words, graduate students may be particularly susceptible.
"Most people don't talk about it. Part of the experience is that they're afraid they're going to be found out," 

3. Minority฀Status฀Stress฀and฀Impostor฀Feelings฀on฀the฀Mental฀Health฀of฀ Minority฀College฀Students
2013 study from the University of Texas at Austin surveyed ethnic-minority college students
African-American students who dealt with significant "impostorism" reported higher levels of anxiety, as well as depression related to discrimination they perceived.
Asian-Americans were more likely than African-Americans or Latino-Americans to experience impostor feelings, however not related to racism perceived.
Latino-American students, the trends essentially reversed -- those Latino students with more impostor-related feelings didn’t suffer from much anxiety or depression.
2013 study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin surveyed ethnic-minority college students and found that Asian-Americans were more likely than African-Americans or Latino-Americans to experience impostor feelings
The authors could not explain why with Latino students, the trends essentially reversed -- those Latino students with more impostor-related feelings didn’t suffer from much anxiety or depression. Those who did indicate they were anxious or depressed did not have many impostor-related thoughts.
Latino students, hyperaware of certain stereotypes, did not internalize impostor-related feelings in the same way as other minority students. They also cited fatalism, a popular concept in some Latino cultures in which people believe they cannot control their destinies.
Kevin Cokley is one of the authors of the study, a professor of counseling psychology and African and African diaspora studies, and director of the university’s Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis
Colkey, et al Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development.

4. Inability of internalizing accomplishments
Impostor Cycle
Most people experience some self-doubt when facing new challenges. "But someone with [imposter phenomenon] has an all-encompassing fear of being found out to not have what it takes." Even if they experience outward signs of success — getting into a selective graduate program— they have trouble believing that they're worthy.
The impostor phenomenon and perfectionism often go hand in hand. So-called impostors think every task they tackle has to be done perfectly, and they rarely ask for help. That perfectionism can lead to two typical responses, An impostor may procrastinate, putting off a task out of fear that he or she won't be able to complete it to the necessary high standards. Or, he or she may overprepare, spending much more time on a task than is necessary.
Ultimately, the impostor phenomenon becomes a cycle. Afraid of being discovered as a fraud, people with impostor feelings go through contortions to do a project perfectly.
When they succeed, they begin to believe all that anxiety and effort paid off. Eventually, they develop almost superstitious beliefs. "Unconsciously, they think their successes must be due to that self-torture,"
Inability of internalizing accomplishments
Do not deserve success

5. Facing Impostor Feelings
Talk to your mentors
Recognize your expertise
Realize no one is perfect
Recognize your feelings and check your thoughts
Mentors can help you identify that impostor feelings are both normal and irrational. Here, it is important to recognize your personal progress and growth instead of comparing yourself to other students and professionals.

6. Facing Impostor Feelings
Talk to your mentors
Recognize your expertise
Realize no one is perfect
Recognize your feelings and check your thoughts
Collaborations and mentoring students at different career stages will help you identify your own progress.

7. Facing Impostor Feelings
Talk to your mentors
Recognize your expertise
Realize no one is perfect
Recognize your feelings and check your thoughts
It important to take time to appreciate the fruits of your hard work. "Develop and implement rewards for success — learn to celebrate"

8. Facing Impostor Feelings
Talk to your mentors
Recognize your expertise
Realize no one is perfect
Recognize your feelings and check your thoughts
Reframe the way they think abo
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27. Such as...• “Just”, “Only”, and other minimizers• “I think”, “I don’t know if”, and other qualifiers 
28. Such as...• “Just”, “Only”, and other minimizers• “I think”, “I don’t know if”, and other qualifiers• “I’m not a REAL X, but –” 
29. Such as...• “Just”, “Only”, and other minimizers• “I think”, “I don’t know if”, and other qualifiers• “I’m not a REAL X, but –”• “Should”
ut their achievements

9. TED Talk Dena Simmons “How students of color confront impostor syndrome”

10. TED Talk Amy Cuddy “Your body language shapes who you are” Tips to tackle impostor syndrome