On the association between the impostor phenomenon, self-esteem, and well-being in academia: A mixed-method study

The purpose of this mixed-methods explanatory study is to better understand the experiences of the impostor phenomenon among early career academics (PhD and up to 8 years post-PhD) and examine the association between the impostor phenomenon, self-esteem, and well-being. We obtained quantitative data from 103 participants and then followed up with qualitative interviews with 12 purposefully selected respondents to explore those experiences in more depth. In the quantitative phase, we found that the majority of early and mid-career academics in our sample experienced moderate to substantial impostor feelings. Using latent profile analyses, we investigated intraindividual differences across participants and identified five profiles which we labelled (1) “the Balanced”, (2) “the Optimal Well-Being”, (3) “the Struggling”, (4) “the Confident”, and (5) “the Paradoxical High”. In the qualitative follow up phase, five major themes emerged: (1) understanding of the impostor phenomenon, (2) impostor situations, (3) negative impact of the impostor phenomenon, (4) positive impact of the impostor phenomenon, and (5) possible approaches to address the impostor phenomenon in academia. Considering the findings from both phases, we discuss them in relation to previous research and provide recommendations for educational institutions and policymakers on addressing the impostor phenomenon in the academic context.