What’s in a Name? How We Can Use Language to Combat Impostor Syndrome

“If you write, then you are a writer.” This well-known phrase is quoted by authors and poets everywhere to inspire others to write. But, of course, it is not quite as simple as this, particularly for fields such as STEM; a study in Developmental Science shows that, from a young age, children make a distinction between “being” and “doing” [1]. During these formative years, their confidence to “do science” doesn’t change, but their confidence to “be scientists” significantly lowers.

This phenomenon does not stop throughout adolescence and adulthood, though we learn to give it a name: imposter syndrome. Psychologist Audrey Ervin defines this as not being able to internalise and own successes; in other words, feeling as though you don’t belong or deserve your success, typically associated with work or school, though it can also be applied to relationships, parenting, talent, and other areas of life [2]. It is estimated that 70% of people experience feelings of being an impostor at some point in their lives [3]. These feelings are often linked to anxiety and depression, so it is essential that impostor syndrome is understood and that steps are taken to prevent its effects in people of all ages [4].

Even from a young age, with no concept of what impostor syndrome is, children still experience it. This can go on to have a profound impact on their perception of themselves and their success throughout their life. For example, continuing with the idea of science, people in academia often introduce themselves as students first, potentially because they feel they cannot call themselves an expert in the subject. But science is a constantly evolving field, there will always be more to learn about, more to discover, more to do. Despite people often having years of experience “doing science”, people cannot fit themselves into their preconceived idea of a scientist, so are more reluctant to give themselves this label.

The feelings of impostor syndrome don’t ever seem to just go away, even with success, as many people we see as successful experience the same things. So, we have to ask, why do these feelings begin at all?

Some researchers suggest that it has its roots in the labels parents attach to particular members of the family, whether these are positive or negative [5]. Those told they are intelligent may develop perfectionist tendencies and a fear of failure, whilst those told otherwise may always feel that their success is second-best to other people, who they believe are naturally smarter and more talented. It is important to remember that similar identity-defining labels are found everywhere: in conversations with parents, teachers, and peers, and even in media such as books, television, social media, and educational videos.

The authors of a study in Developmental Science suggest the differential confidence of children when presented with either the idea of doing science or being a scientist is “partially accounted for by children’s views that the group of people who do science is more inclusive than the category of scientists” [1]. For science, children’s interests tend to decline throughout childhood, and this decline is found to be more pronounced in groups that are typically underrepresented in STEM fields, such as girls, ethnic minorities, and the working class [6]. For those that do go on to pursue these fields, the feelings of impostor syndrome may be stronger due to the idea that they do not fit the mould of success in that industry.

So it is suggested that feelings of being an imposter are based on pre-conceptions of success. Ask yourself, what does a scientist look like? The first image that springs to mind for many is an old man with wild white hair in a lab coat. If we don’t see ourselves in this image, if there is a lack of role models in the industry, how can we imagine ourselves as succeeding there?

Combatting the ideas that children are not compatible with these fields can be done through exposing them to diverse role models in science as well as by implementing language changes that allow them to focus more on the act of doing and less on being, so is “less likely to be interpreted by children as meaning that science is identify-defining” [1, 7]. Both of these steps allow children to maintain an open mind towards pursuing their interests, reducing the development of imposter syndrome.

Not only do we need to combat stereotypes to increase children’s interests in science at a grassroots level, but changes need to be made systematically to ensure high levels of retainment, particularly from underrepresented groups in these fields. Many initiatives have been created to encourage young people to explore fields they are interested in and overcome these barriers to entry, and these are helping to reduce the gender gap. In 2019, people praised the success of closing the gender gap in pupils taking science A-levels, though it must be noted that there was still a large divide in subjects such as physics and computer science [8]. This gap widens further through education and when considering executive positions in institutions, so change is still needed [9].

The study in Developmental Science showed that a simple language change from “being” to “doing” has a profound effect on confidence in children, but language also has powerful effects in adults too [10]. Our language choices (both spoken and thought!) can be used to create supportive, empowering environments in education, and to embolden ourselves throughout our lives and careers whenever we begin to feel imposter syndrome creeping in. Reframing our perspectives - remembering that everyone else is feeling the same, reflecting on the hard work behind successes, turning failures into learning opportunities - may seem difficult in the face of traitorous impostor feelings, but this one small step can help to combat it. If you write, you are a writer. If you do science, you are a scientist. Maybe the label doesn’t matter. It’s not about “being”, after all. What have you done, and what do you want to do next?

This World Mental Health Day, we’re putting the spotlight on feelings of imposter syndrome prevalent within STEM fields and other industries. If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this article, please explore the following resources:

• The BBC has a list of organisations offering advice and support

• StudentSpace has useful resources on mental health for students

• Mind has a list of mental health listening services available to those in the UK.

References

[1] R. F. Lei, E. R. Green, M Rhodes, S. J. Leslie. “Children lose confidence in their potential to “be scientists,” but not in their capacity to “do science”, Developmental Science, vol. 22, no. 2, April 2019. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12837

[2] J. Gardiner. (Sept, 2019). “Dealing with Imposter Syndrome”, The Assistant Room, [Online]. Available: https://www.theassistantroom.com/career/dealing-with-imposter-syndrome/ [Accessed: 3rd October 2020].

[3] J. Sakulku. “The Imposter Phenomenon”, The Journal of Behavioral Science, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 75-97, Sept 2011. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.14456/ijbs.2011.6

[4] A. W. Parkman, “The Imposter Phenomenon in Higher Education: Incidence and Impact”, Research Gate, vol, 16, pp. 51-60, Jan 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306254333_The_Imposter_Phenomenon_in_Higher_Education_Incidence_and_Impact

[5] G. Corkindale. (May, 2008).  “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome”, Harvard Business Review, [Online]. Available: https://hbr.org/2008/05/overcoming-imposter-syndrome#:~:text=Imposter%20syndrome%20can%20be%20defined,external%20proof%20of%20their%20competence [Accessed 3rd October 2020].

[6] A. Wigfield, J. S. Eccles, J. A. Fredricks, S. Simpkins, R. W. Roeser, U. Schiefele. “Development of Achievement Motivation and Engagement”, Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science, pp. 1-44 March 2015. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118963418.childpsy316

[7] T. C. Dennehy, N. Dasgupta. “Female peer mentors early in college increase women’s positive academic experiences and retention in engineering”, PNAS, vol. 114, no, 23, pp. 5964-5969, June 2017. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1613117114

[8] E. Busby. (Aug, 2019). “A-level results day: More girls take science A-levels than boys for the first time ever”, The Independent, [Online]. Available: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/level-results-day-2019-student-grades-ucas-exam-reforms-university-clearing-latest-a9059196.html [Accessed 3rd October 2020].

[9] Women in STEM. (Sept, 2019). “Percentages of Women in STEM Statistics”, STEM Women, [Online]. Available: https://www.stemwomen.co.uk/blog/2019/09/women-in-stem-percentages-of-women-in-stem-statistics [Accessed 3rd October 2020].

[10] A. Ledgerwood. (May, 2013). “A simple trick to improve positive thinking”, TEDxUCDavis, [Online]. Available: https://www.ted.com/talks/alison_ledgerwood_a_simple_trick_to_improve_positive_thinking [Accessed 3rd October 2020].