Recognizing imposter phenomenon among latino college students
Leslie Luna Mercado
Embedded Files
About the resource
I created a worksheet to aid students in recognizing and confronting inmposter phenomenon. It has two sections; the first section is made up of true/false questions. The purpose of those questions is to help the counselor and client work together to recognize symptoms of imposter phenomenon, as well as factors that may be contributing to their feelings. This section is then followed by journaling prompts for the client to answer. These are meant to create a space for the client to reflect further on what is making them feel these symptoms.
What is imposter phenomenon?
First defined in 1978 by Clance & Imes and most commonly known as "imposter syndrome", it is commonly identified by feelings of inferiority, self-doubt and failure, despite evidence of achievements and competence. (Wright-Mair et al., 2023). A study by Wright-Mair et al., (2023) meant to aid latino students into coping with imposter syndrome at predominantly white institutes found that latino students are faced with micro-aggressions, financial hardship, and other forms of social inequalities. Another qualitative study found that lack of representation may lead to feelings of isolation. First-generation students may feel pressured by high family expectations to perform better academically (Pulliam et al., 2026).
References
Pulliam, N., Smith, V., Nixon Bethea, L., Nicholson, W., & O’Brien, L. (2026). Impacts of the impostor phenomenon on the mental health of black and latinx, first-generation college students at a predominantly white institution. Journal of College Student Mental Health. https://doi-org.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/10.1080/28367138.2025.2604479
Wright-Mair, R., Ramos, D., & Passano, B. (2024). Latinx college students’ strategies for resisting imposter syndrome at predominantly White institutions. Journal of Latinos and Education, 23(2), 725–743. https://doi-org.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/10.1080/15348431.2023.2180366
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse