Beyond gender - the impostor phenomenon and the role of gender typing, social comparison orientation, and perceived minority status.

Abstract

In previous studies, the impostor phenomenon has been related to low positive masculinity and high negative femininity (mediated by social comparison orientation), as well as to the feeling of belonging to a minority group. To date, research on gender typing, social comparison, and the impostor phenomenon has predominantly relied on student samples, thereby limiting the external validity of its findings. The present study seeks to address this limitation by investigating the extent to which these findings generalize beyond academic populations, utilizing a sample of N = 666 German university students and employed professionals. This study revealed a negative association between positive masculinity and impostor feelings, as well as a strong positive association between negative femininity and impostor feelings. In addition, a weak positive association was found between positive femininity and the impostor phenomenon. Both facets of femininity showed small but significant indirect effects via social comparison orientation. Based on previous research, we further assumed that participants who feel that their assigned gender is underrepresented in their particular environment show greater feelings of impostorism. The correlative analyses indicated that, despite minor variance, perceived minority status at work in terms of gender was associated with the impostor phenomenon. However, perceived minority affiliation had no impact on the association between social comparison orientation and impostorism. Based on these findings, interventions are discussed that affected individuals as well as employers and can apply to reduce mental distress regarding the organizational context and the work environment.