Achievement Goals, Imposter Syndrome, and Psychological Distress Among Female STEM Students: A Structural Equation Model

Abstract

Psychological distress can influence a student's decision-making process regarding whether to persist in their academic journey. This study examined the influence of achievement goals and imposter syndrome on female STEM college students’ psychological distress. It involved 395 participants, with 37.72% identifying as minoritized and 44.05% as first-generation students, who completed an online survey. Findings of structural equation modeling indicated that higher imposter syndrome levels mediated the link between performance-avoidance and mastery-avoidance goals and psychological distress. Conversely, emphasizing mastery-approach goals was linked to lower imposter syndrome levels, reducing psychological distress. Multigroup analyses revealed these effects were consistent across different student groups, regardless of their minoritized status. But these effects are different between first-generation and continuing-generation college students. This suggests that educational institutions can implement strategies to support the mental wellbeing and retention of female STEM students.