RESEARCH_FILE
Suzanne A. Imes
Georgia State University
Known for:Co-naming the impostor phenomenon with Pauline Rose Clance in 1978
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“They'll find out I'm a fraud”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I keep the receipts. The record shows I delivered.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
For the next 8 minutes, make a private “proof list” on paper or in a notes app: three specific things you completed, clarified, corrected, or carried today. Keep it factual, not flattering.
Key findings
- 1978
Early family dynamics — such as being cast as 'the sensitive one' next to a sibling labeled 'the intelligent one', or being told success comes effortlessly — combined with internalized sex-role stereotypes to seed and maintain impostor feelings. The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention ↗
- 1978
Four behaviors maintain the phenomenon once it starts: diligence and hard work used as cover, intellectual inauthenticity (saying what evaluators want to hear), using charm to win approval, and avoiding displays of confidence — each one keeps the 'real proof' of ability from registering. The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention ↗