Examining Imposter Syndrome at CMU
Project by Arrim Jung, Grace Lee, and Cassandra Shi
66139-A Reducing Conflict - Perceptions of Culture and Identity
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Book Summary of Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
Flawed is a dystopian novel that takes place in a society run by an organization called "The Guild," which punishes people who make flawed decisions by branding the letter "F" on their body. Branded people are called the "Flawed" and are ostracized in society, being forced to live with stricter rules than others. Celestine, the main character goes against society laws by aiding a "Flawed" person and is convicted as being "Flawed" herself, which ends up putting her name at the forefront of political discourse regarding "Flawed" rights and corruption in leadership. Through a series of ordeals, Celestine grows from apathy toward social issues to a proactive young woman hopeful for social change.
Thesis
By creating a dystopian society where people are harshly excluded from society for defiance of norms, Cecelia Ahern in her Young Adult novel Flawed, addresses internal and external conflicts about identity and culture, which emerge often as causes for Imposter Syndrome. From our Project 1 Data, we observed a similar sense of Imposter Syndrome among students at Carnegie Mellon University and wanted to expand our website on that aspect.
The main character of Flawed, Celestine, makes us aware of the power of an institution to establish non-inclusivity as a social norm through her own oblivion of injustice prior to experiencing injustice herself. She also shows us the difficulty and nobleness of going against the tide and fighting for something larger than herself. Celestine’s journey of learning about the lives of the “Flawed” highlights the importance of sharing stories and the power of gathering under a shared identity in order to shed light on the “invisible” issues in society.
In this website, we will draw connections between the experiences Celestine goes through in the novel and students’ sense of belonging at CMU in relation to the problem of imposter syndrome.
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Understanding Imposter Syndrome
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What is imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is a cognitive distortion in which our brain will create a type of mental filter that will worsen our levels of anxiety and self-doubt. Imposter syndrome is defined as “ a psychological state in which people express self-doubt on their accomplishments and skills, despite factual evidence or other people indicating otherwise” (IU Bloomington). In other words, whenever you feel “lucky” or like someone else deserves your success more, your brain makes you feel inadequate because you are constantly comparing yourself to something or someone else. Imposter syndrome is not something that can currently be diagnosed using the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual if Mental Disorders) but it can result in anxiety, depression, and more.
Why do we feel imposter syndrome?
Imposter syndrome affects high-achieving people the most and is usually heightened in competitive environments, making all the symptoms worse. Since they are so high-achieving, they will feel the pressure to continue to succeed which could be detrimental to their mental health. The need to feel like you belong contributes a lot to this phenomenon because you are constantly fearful of being left out of a group so if someone is left out then they will attribute that to their personality rather than the situation. People struggling with imposter syndrome will often attribute their successes to luck rather than the hard work they put into it because they feel undeserving or surprised by their achievements. Imposter syndrome can be seen as a “specific form of intellectual self-doubt” that affects many people (American Psychological Association).
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How can I counteract these negative thoughts?
The process of counteracting imposter syndrome is different for everyone so there are various strategies that you can use to try and combat negative thoughts about yourself. One option could be altering your thoughts and reconfiguring the way you approach a situation about yourself. Another option could be reaching out to external resources such as trusted people in your life or a program that Carnegie Mellon provides for their students called CaPS. CaPS is a free resource for all currently enrolled students at CMU that is provided by the university aide in mental heath concerns.
Voices of CMU Students (Project 1 Data)
"CMU life can sometimes become very overwhelming, especially with the amount of pressure we put on ourselves as students here."
"I definitely wish that people here put less pressure on themselves."
"I think I’ve noticed a general trend, almost competition, of who studies more."
"We almost seem to equate self-worth with studying."
Imposter Syndrome in Flawed
Comparing Ourselves to an Illusion
When people are afraid of being left out of a group, they are often comparing themselves to others. In the society of "The Guild" in Cecelia Ahern's Young Adult novel Flawed, people are constantly comparing themselves to perfection. Celestine compares herself to her mother's conventional beauty while Juniper compares herself to Celestine's effortless success in education and social life. While making up with Celestine, Juniper admits the following:
“I’ve always been so jealous of you, always […] You were always so perfect. You always did everything right, said everything right. Everybody liked you” (pg. 316)
Juniper is assuming that Celestine fits her idea of perfection and then blaming her for the feeling of inferiority she gets from comparing herself to that idea. Perfection is an illusion; when we compare ourselves to the biases we have of others, we are comparing ourselves to something that isn't even real. It is easy to delude ourselves in the perfection of others because you do not know them as much as yourself and do not get to see as many flaws in them as you do in yourself. This is why when we compare, it is more about our obsession over ourselves than of others, and when we learn to accept our own flaws we can stop paying so much attention to others.
Celestine sees a newspaper image of herself look like
“A woman who appears to know exactly what she’s doing. How deceiving appearances can be.” (pg. 243)
which can remind us also that people may view us with bias and prejudice for the better or worse as well. We should be careful not to make assumptions about others but also recognize that telling people our vulnerabilities and insecurities can aid in breaking the illusion of perfection and creating safe spaces for mistakes. Therefore, there is power in sharing our weaknesses.
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Fear of Judgment When "Caught"
Another part of imposter syndrome is the fear that if you get caught in your imperfection, that you will be judged forever.
“You suffer the consequences of your one mistake for the rest of your life. Your punishment serves as a reminder to others to think before they act.” (pg. 51)
Although in the society of "The Guild" gives permanent judgment to the Flawed, it is often the case in reality that people move on to more important things. Problems that are identified quickly can often be solved quickly, but problems that are hidden can build up consequences and risk. If you hide your imperfections, you could enslave yourself to that imperfection for the rest of your life. If you recognize it and do something about it, you can move on like others.
“Every teenager wants to be perfect. Nobody wants to stand out, at least I never did. And the people that do stand out, they’re just being themselves. Everybody wants to look like they know what they’re doing, when really most of the time nobody has a clue.” (pg. 200)
However, the novel does point out that many people do put up a facade of “perfection” to hide their “flaws” even though it creates divisiveness and insecurity in people. It is a method of self-preservation at the expense of a culture. It is important to notice that this Young Adult novel can capture that feeling. Trayvon martin quoted in Emily Temple’s article “If Fiction… to Be YA,” “it’s a reflection of what we’re all facing right now. “ This supports the idea that literature is a reflection of society that people can relate to.
Understanding Our Own Identity
“If I am who they say I am, which side am I to believe? I don’t think either of them know me at all” (pg. 87)
There is an image that other people or society often paints us to be, and that is rarely true or comprehensive of who we actually are. The difference between someone with imposter syndrome and Celestine, however, is the sense of obligation to fit society’s claims. Celestine does not feel a need to fit the mold of media and instead stays true to herself while a person with imposter syndrome may feel the need to fit in and therefore feel like they are betraying themself. This separation from cultural norms makes Celestine able to challenge the attacks being made on her and the Flawed. Although Celestine may not believe it, Pia reminds her of her influence.
“Celestine, you are the bravest person I’ve ever met, and you’ve inspired me to find my own voice.” (pg. 247)
It is also important to recognize how much influence you can have on other people. Although you may think that you don’t have that much power, you have the ability to affect other people’s lives. That is why we should be careful with how we treat other people. However, it also shows that we can inspire others by being true to ourselves, not always necessarily trying to change others.
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Imposter Syndrome at CMU
Based on our survey result (41 responses), it shows that 14% of people rated their experience of imposter syndrome at CMU as 1 (never experiencing it), 20% of people rated it as 2 (rarely experiencing it), 23% of people rated it as 3 (sometimes experiencing it), 31% of people rated it as 4 (often experiencing it), and 12% of people rated it as 5 (very often).
Average Rating: 3.24, indicating that most people who responded to the survey sometimes or frequently experience imposter syndrome. 88% of people have experienced imposter syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome: Nationwide Problem
According to the National Library of Medicine database, 62 studies are about imposter syndrome. Half of the included studies were of student populations. Students with impostor syndrome had fears that were significantly related to maintaining their social standing and not wanting to display imperfection to others
According to a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Science, up to 70% of college students experience imposter syndrome at some point during their college career.
A survey of 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students conducted by The JED Foundation found that 87% of students experienced feelings of imposter syndrome at some point in their academic career.
Research published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology found that imposter syndrome was more common among high-achieving students, particularly those in graduate programs.
National data can also help to identify trends and patterns that may be relevant to students at CMU. For example, national data suggests that international students or minority students are more likely to experience imposter syndrome, this could prompt CMU to pay closer attention to the experiences of these groups on its own campus and to develop targeted interventions to address their needs.
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International Students
A survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that international students were more likely than domestic students to experience imposter syndrome. Of the 1,980 students surveyed, 62.2% of international students reported experiencing imposter syndrome, compared to 50.3% of domestic students.
The cultural differences and language barriers can exacerbate feelings of imposter syndrome among international students.
Minority students
A survey conducted by the Jed Foundation found that imposter syndrome was more prevalent among students who identified as LGBTQ+ and/or had a disability. Of the 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students surveyed, 93% of LGBTQ+ students and 91% of students with a disability reported experiencing feelings of imposter syndrome.
Studies have shown that students of color may experience micro-aggressions, racial discrimination, and feel underrepresented. In turn, these students may experience imposter syndrome at a higher rate that White college students.
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Proposal
We understand that Imposter Syndrome is not just a CMU-wide issue but a nation-wide issue for college students. However, there are actions that our university can take to help students feel a greater sense of belonging at CMU.
More student-to-student interactions in General Education classes where diverse students can meet
Continued research on student stress levels
Support groups for international students with discussions about sense of belonging
English language learning programs that involve English-speaking students
Support groups for students of color
Support groups for students in the LGBTQ+ community
Citations
Ahern, Cecelia. (2016). Flawed.
National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2019). 2019 Internship & Co-op Survey Report. Bethlehem, PA: National Association of Colleges and Employers.
The Jed Foundation. (2019). The 2019 National Survey of Mental Health, Part 1: Student Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.jedfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/The-2019-National-Survey-of-Mental-Health-Part-1-Student-Mental-Health.pdf
Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. International Journal of Behavioral Science, 15(1), 74-92.
Henning, K., Ey, S., & Shaw, D. (1998). Perfectionism, the imposter phenomenon and psychological adjustment in medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45(3), 336-342.
Munley , K. (2020, December 2). Expert or poser? debunking the psychology behind Imposter Syndrome. ScIU. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/2020/11/21/expert-or-poser/
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Imposter syndrome. Psychology Today. Retrieved May 1, 2023, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/imposter-syndrome