Description
Impostor syndrome is when someone doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a fear of being exposed as a fraud. They tend to ignore evidence of their competence. People who have high impostor syndrome tend to evaluate themselves more negatively and assume that other people evaluate them negatively as well.
This is a common phenomenon that has been estimated to affect nearly 70% of individuals at least once in their life. Impostor syndrome is associated with depression, anxiety, high achievement, being part of a minority group, low self esteem, perfectionism, high family expectations, lower job satisfaction, and burnout.
Leary, M. R., Patton, K., Orlando, A., & Funk, W. W. (2000). The impostor phenomenon: Self-perceptions, reflected appraisals, and interpersonal strategies. Journal of Personality, 68(4), 725-756.