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5 - Impostor Syndrome in Graduate School

from Part II - Beginning your Career

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2022

Mitchell J. Prinstein
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
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Summary

Impostor syndrome refers to internal beliefs of intellectual incompetence among high-achieving individuals that are typically accompanied by difficulties internalizing success and chronic fears of being discovered as a “fraud.” Graduate school is a prime context for impostor cognitions to flourish, given the unique stressors and experiences that often characterize this unique academic stage. Despite the largely ubiquitous nature of impostor syndrome among graduate students (and professors), impostor cognitions are rarely openly discussed, nor are the factors that make this harmful thinking pattern worse. Thus, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of impostor syndrome, factors that may influence the intensity of impostor cognitions, and ways that graduate students can adaptively navigate these unhelpful ways of thinking.

Type
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Information
The Portable Mentor
Expert Guide to a Successful Career in Psychology
, pp. 102 - 118
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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