The Imposter in the Lab Coat: Battling Imposter Syndrome in PhD Students
The student life of a PhD essentially is this cycle of intellectual challenges, demands for research, and this persistent drive to come out at the top. Very rewarding for its pursuit into knowledge, reality is, however, such that there lie some vulnerabilities particular to it—in this case, imposter syndrome.
Impostor syndrome is a psychological phenomenon characterised by chronic self-doubt and fear of being an imposter, which surprisingly exists in more than 70% of the people in the academic profession at any point in time, as reported by Clance & Imes in the year 1978. This silently intrinsic voice of inadequacy can seriously affect the quality and well-being of a student's life and work while impeding his journey into a research arena.
Triggers to Understand
PhD students may have various underlying causes of imposter syndrome, of which the list is as below:
Academic World as a Grueling Industry
The academia is a super competitive and challenging world to be in. Continuous assessment coupled with fast-changing deadlines and in search of uncovering something totally new can breed low self-confidence and an inferiority complex.
The Comparison Trap
Comparing oneself to super-perfect mates or established researchers only makes a person more of an imposter, but one forgets his or her own achievement and capabilities.
Perfectionism: The desire to do everything perfectly without the fear of failure can create a sense of self-doubt and make an individual feel that his or her work is never good enough.
No Positive Reinforcement: Academic culture thrives on identifying good consistency and where work needs improvement without praising or recognising successes. Again, this feeds self-doubt.
Beating the Imposter:
The imposter can be a tough opponent, but there are ways in the science to beat its paralysing power:
Challenge Negative Thoughts: Identify and attack negative self-statements that fuel the imposter syndrome. Replace negative statements with more accurate and objective assessments of your capabilities and achievements.
Look for Evidence of Success: Keep a log of your achievements, awards, published works, or positive feedback. All this concrete evidence signifies your competence and progress.
Celebrate Milestones: acknowledge and celebrate your success, no matter how minor or major it is. It reaffirms the basis of self-worth in making all the efforts worth their while.
Reach out to others: Seek help from fellow students, mentors, or advisors about your experiences. Normalising feelings will lead the way to receiving support and encouragement soon.
Reframe Failure: You see that failures and errors are learning occasions rather than ones that prove the inadequacy of a specific action or actions. Be willing to accept the cycle of research and experimentation that always seem to follow.
Self-Compassion: Relate to yourself as you do to a friend whose challenge in your world of areas of self-compassion, of self-care in general, and related areas would build well-being.
Additional Resources:
Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. B. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241-247.
Lee, H. Y., Anderson, C. B., Chakraverty, D., & Russell, R. C. (2023). Too stupid for PhD? Doctoral impostor syndrome among Finnish PhD students. Higher Education, 85(1), 189-208.
Graduate College, Arizona State University. (n.d.). Best practice: Developing resilience and overcoming imposter syndrome. Retrieved from https://graduate.asu.edu/graduate-insider/best-practice-developing-resilience-and-overcoming-imposter-syndrome
Remember, imposter syndrome is a common phenomenon, not a reflection of your true abilities. By recognizing its triggers, challenging negative self-talk, and seeking support, you can effectively manage its impact and navigate your PhD journey with greater confidence and self-compassion.