RESEARCH_FILE
Abrar Guenes
Research group presenting at ICSE-SEIS 2024
Known for:Lead researcher on the first large-scale empirical study of impostor phenomenon specifically in software engineers, examining prevalence across seniority, team size, and educational background
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“I'm the weakest engineer in every meeting”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“Their title is not a correctness proof.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Open your last meeting notes or agenda and circle one place where you assumed someone else was right because they sounded confident. Write one alternative interpretation in the margin, then close the file.
Key findings
- 2024
The first empirical study specifically targeting software engineers found measurable impostor phenomenon scores in a majority of practitioners, with seniority, team size, and hiring pathway (self-taught vs. CS degree) all accounting for variance — establishing imposter phenomenon as an occupational pattern in software engineering. Impostor Phenomenon in Software Engineers ↗