Quand le syndrome de l’imposteur influence la recherche de feedback : étude des relations entre le syndrome de l’imposteur et les stratégies de recherche utilisées chez les employés

Abstract

Introduction

The impostor syndrome is a frequent phenomenon that can have deleterious consequences for the individual from a psychological point of view. It is a vicious circle in which the individual perceives feedback as a threat. This syndrome seems to impact the individual's feedback seeking strategies.

Objectives

The aim of our study is to show that impostor syndrome will have an effect on the type of feedback seeking used by employees with their supervisor.

Method

Through an online questionnaire with 370 French-speaking employees, we assessed the impostor syndrome, the level of perceived experience, and the types of strategies used in seeking feedback from the superior.

Results

Our results show, after controlling for perceived experience and gender, that individuals with a strong imposter syndrome tend to seek feedback more often and in a less direct way (i.e., indirect, or observational).

Conclusion

These results confirm the hypothesis of a link between the impostor syndrome and feedback seeking. The latter would be an element to be considered in the understanding of the impostor syndrome and its consequences.