The impostor syndrome in doctorates

The impostor syndrome is a relatively frequent disorder in doctoral programs. Why?

The process of obtaining a doctorate can be one of the most motivating, but it is also true that in the vast majority of cases it is a challenge that involves effort and discipline.

Thus, there is no doubt that obtaining a doctorate is recognized as an achievement that has an outstanding merit; however, not all people who have gone through or have gone through this training and specialization program experience this as an enhancer of their self-esteem. In fact, in certain contexts the opposite may be the case. In this article I will talk about one such situation: the impostor syndrome in PhDs..

What is the impostor syndrome?

Impostor syndrome is a psychological state, or set of psychological predispositions, in which the person who develops it experiences on a regular basis the belief that he or she is a fraud who has not yet been discovered as such, but could be exposed.but could be exposed.

That is to say, that in the day to day life of the person who presents impostor syndrome a frequent discomfort appears because of feeling overcome by the circumstances, enjoying an authority or good social image that is pure appearance and that could crumble at any moment, revealing that one does not possess the skills or knowledge that others attribute to him/her.

The fear that this moment in which others will discover "the truth" about oneselfThe idea that sooner or later one will have to face a challenge that cannot be solved by oneself, as well as the idea that sooner or later one will have to face a challenge that cannot be solved by oneself, make this psychological alteration usually go hand in hand with anguish, anxiety, and sometimes, low self-esteem and the typical symptoms of depression.

On the other hand, it is necessary to have clear that in spite of its name, the syndrome of the impostor is not a concept belonging to the clinical worldTherefore, it does not appear in the diagnostic manuals of psychopathologies used in psychiatry or clinical psychology. However, as with other psychological phenomena that are not illnesses, such as low self-esteem or a predisposition to argue with one's family, this does not mean that it is not a reason to take action and try to manage the situation, either by one's own means or through professional help in a psychology office.

Why does the impostor syndrome appear in doctorates?

These are the main reasons why impostor syndrome is relatively frequent in doctoral programs.

1. It is very specific knowledge

By their very nature, doctorates are programs in which very specific knowledge is acquired. In this sense they differ from university degrees or even secondary education, the contents of which can "come up" relatively often in everyday situations. in everyday situations.

This mixture of putting effort into something and, at the same time, not seeing that this is clearly expressed in applied knowledge beyond the context of the doctorate, creates the illusion that this knowledge is scarce or not worth much.

2. The added value of degrees

The simple fact of having a doctorate is a socially desirable quality, linked to intellectual and, indirectly, economic status.. The fact that it is this "label" that brings the benefit of having authority, and not the learning obtained in itself, makes many people perceive that others see them in a good light due to factors external to them, that is to say, that do not depend on their own merits.

3. A competitive context

As I have already mentioned, the doctorate is associated with the learning of very specific knowledge that is not usually used in one's daily life, beyond this academic or professional context. At the same time as this, PhDs are often compared with other PhDs and, in general, with people with specialized studies.

This means that while maintaining the belief that one does not know too much oneself, one has the perception that others do not, one has the perception that others know a lot.The impostor syndrome is a predisposition to inquire into the academic knowledge of this minority of highly educated people with whom one often compares oneself. In other words, comparisons of oneself with others are biased without the person with imposter syndrome realizing it.

4. Personality factors and low self-esteem

Individual variables should not be forgottenThese include personality traits such as a tendency to neuroticism (i.e., the propensity to react with high emotional intensity to unpleasant or discouraging experiences) or a predisposition to a pessimistic attribution style (i.e., getting used to the idea that one's achievements are due to luck, not to one's own positive characteristics).

In many ways, being a challenge that due to the effort invested sometimes causes psychological burnout, going through a doctoral program can amplify the problems of self-esteem and negative affectivity that one already had before starting these studies, if professional help is not available. that one already had before starting these studies, if professional help is not available.

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Bibliographical references:

• Clance, P.R.; Dingman, D.; Reviere, S.L.; Stober, D.R. (1995). Impostor phenomenon in an interpersonal/social context. Women & Therapy. 16(4): 79-96 (87).
• Langford, J.; Clance, P.R. (1993). The impostor phenomenon: recent research findings regarding dynamics, personality and family patterns and their implications for treatment. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training. 30(3): pp. 495 - 501.
• Lowman, R.L. (1993). Fear of success and fear of failure". Counseling and psychotherapy of work dysfunctions. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. pp. 74–82 (81).