The flip side of Illusory Superiority (see Reflections, Volume 18 or click HERE) is popularly known as Impostor Syndrome, a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments. Regardless of what level of success they may have achieved in their chosen field of work or study or what external proof they may have of their competence, those with the syndrome remain convinced internally that they do not deserve the success they have achieved and are actually frauds. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they were more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome)

To be sure, the incompetent are not alone in their difficulty with accurate self-assessment. These same studies suggest that top performers consistently underestimate how superior or distinctive their performances are relative to their peers. In studies, the top 25% tended to think that their skills lay in the 70th–75th percentile, although their performances fell roughly in the 87th percentile. Kruger and Dunning suggested that this underestimation stems from a different source—because top performers find the tests they confront to be easy, they mistakenly assume that their peers find the tests to be equally easy. As such, their own performances seem unexceptional. [Why the Unskilled are Unaware: Further Explorations of (Absent) Self-Insight among the Incompetent (2007)]

There is the temptation to dismiss Impostor Syndrome as being something of a ‘high-end hang-up’ that really only has to do with the self-confidence and self-image of high performers. Some who experience Impostor Syndrome deal with it by pushing themselves harder, trying to preserve the ‘illusion’ of competence. That their ‘illusion’ is an attempt to mask real competence with more real competence can cause one to raise an eyebrow. Really, how bad can this problem be?

It is a condition that tends to affect high-achieving individuals, particularly academics and graduate students, more often than others. Richard Felder, a chemical engineering instructor at North Carolina State University, writes,

I have no data on how common this phenomenon is among engineering students but when I speak about it in classes and seminars and get to “…and they all think I’m great but I know better,” the audience resonates like a plucked guitar string—students laugh nervously, nod their heads, turn to check out their neighbors’ reactions. My guess is that most of them believe deep down that those around them may belong there but they themselves do not. …Besides the resonant responses I get from students I usually pick up some pretty strong vibrations from the row where the faculty is sitting. Even a quick survey of the literature makes it clear that it is a widespread phenomenon and there are many first-person accounts of high performers who chose not to publish, not to apply for jobs, changed their major, and engaged in other self-defeating behaviors, all to keep others from finding out that they really didn’t belong in the classroom, the program, or the job. That this condition seems to be at once pervasive and also strikes those who are competent should cause us to stop and consider what truly is at risk. (Click here for the full article.)

If we are seeking student success we probably need to find ways of dealing with Impostor Syndrome. After all, at some point we all find ourselves dealing with high-performing students. To dismiss them as ‘already competent’ does some of them a tremendous disservice. Their competence is not the issue that will keep many from continued success; their inability to self-validate and appreciate their true efficacy will. It is critical to appreciate that, unlike illusory superiority, impostor syndrome tends to persist through increased learning; it is not fundamentally a learning issue and does not tend to limit learning, except as it affects the motivation of those suffering from it.

So what do we do? According to the article, No You’re Not an Impostor in Science Careers,

“The key to getting past it, experts say, is making accurate, realistic assessments of your performance.”

Process Education has much to offer here. Self-Assessment includes strengths as well as areas for improvement. Stressing strengths and not allowing students to gloss over or downplay real strengths is not a bad strategy. A focus on growth or progress such as with a self-growth paper could also potentially help these students to reflect on their achievements rather than just dismissing the positive judgments and feedback of others as salutary or erroneous. Finally, helping these students learn to validate their own learning can help them have “increased confidence that they have reached, and even surpassed, the learning expectations of their instructors” (Faculty Guidebook 3.3.5 Self-Validation of One’s Learning).

This is a tough one and it can be difficult and frustrating to deal with the problems of strong performers. Have you ever experienced Impostor Syndrome? If so, how did/do you cope? Have you dealt with it in your classrooms? With friends, family or peers? What tips would you suggest? We'd love to know!