{"id":31626,"date":"2025-11-18T22:44:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T22:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=31626"},"modified":"2025-11-18T22:51:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T22:51:42","slug":"new-study-uncovers-effect-of-admitting-impostor-feelings-by-professors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/new-study-uncovers-effect-of-admitting-impostor-feelings-by-professors\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Uncovers Effect of Admitting Impostor Feelings by Professors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">New research from Colorado State University shows that professors who admit to feelings of impostor syndrome may be perceived as less competent by students, affecting their hiring potential and professional advancement. These findings underscore the delicate balance instructors must navigate when sharing vulnerabilities.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Professors in academia are often expected to exude confidence, but the reality of impostor syndrome \u2014 a pervasive feeling of self-doubt despite objective success \u2014 can influence how they are perceived by their students. New research from Colorado State University (CSU) reveals the significant impact this phenomenon can have on professors&#8217; perceived competence, likability and effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a study <a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fstl0000461\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, students viewed a hypothetical professor who admitted to feelings of being an impostor as less hirable compared to an equally accomplished faculty member who did not share such disclosures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The implications of these findings extend beyond academia, touching on broader discussions about vulnerability and leadership in various professional settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study, led by doctoral candidate Alexa Jayne at CSU, was motivated by Jayne&#8217;s personal experiences as a teaching assistant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTeaching was a beautiful experience that I loved, but I also noticed that I was not feeling capable or good enough in spite of the objective success I was having,\u201d Jayne said in a news release. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This experience spurred her interest in exploring how these internal struggles affect external perceptions, a topic previously underexplored in scientific literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Impostor syndrome is defined as a psychological pattern where individuals fear being exposed as frauds despite their proven successes. This phenomenon is particularly common in higher education, where many high-performing individuals face constant scrutiny through paper reviews, tenure processes and student evaluations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jayne&#8217;s research involved presenting students with two nearly identical vignettes about a hypothetical tenured professor. Both professors were described as accomplished, but only one mentioned attributing success to external factors and having a fear of being recognized as a fraud. Students were then asked to evaluate the professors on various aspects, including likability, perceived experience, anticipated class grades, salary and class enrollment likelihood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The findings were striking. Students perceived the professor who disclosed self-doubt as having significantly less experience and earning a lower salary \u2014 by about $10,000 \u2014 compared to the control group professor. Despite this, both professors were equally likable, suggesting that minor admissions of self-doubt can humanize instructors without fully undermining their approachability. Importantly, students were just as likely to enroll in classes taught by either professor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jayne emphasized the nuanced balance that instructors must strike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt least in this study, it seems students do still perceive or equate confidence with competence. That doesn\u2019t mean that is the right way to navigate these spaces though,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Instead, it means these disclosures need to be thoughtfully done so that instructors can find ways to connect with students without unintentionally undermining their own standing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study&#8217;s implications are particularly relevant for women in STEM \u2014 a group predisposed to impostor syndrome \u2014 whose experiences shape their mentorship roles throughout their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want this research to be taken as, \u2018You should never be vulnerable in a classroom,\u2019\u201d Jayne added. \u201cRather, I hope this is a step towards normalizing these feelings and supporting the retention and advancement of faculty \u2013 especially in those marginalized groups we know can suffer from these feelings \u2013 by addressing them in a structured way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jayne&#8217;s advisor Bryan Dik, a professor of psychology, whose research delves into meaning and purpose in the workplace, pointed out the broader relevance of the findings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This work relates to what our team describes as the \u2018dark side\u2019 of calling \u2013 negative outcomes that sometimes result from pursuing meaningful work,\u201d he said in the news release. \u201cIn the future, we hope to examine the role of different demographic variables and their tangible impacts on hiring, promotions and student engagement \u2013\u202fespecially for early career faculty or those from marginalized groups that are already vulnerable to bias.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/natsci.source.colostate.edu\/balancing-authenticity-with-professionalism-research-explores-impostor-syndrome-in-higher-ed-teachers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Colorado State University<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Professors in academia are often expected to exude confidence, but the reality of impostor syndrome \u2014 a pervasive feeling of self-doubt despite objective success \u2014 can influence how they are perceived by their students. New research from Colorado State University (CSU) reveals the significant impact this phenomenon can have on professors&#8217; perceived competence, likability and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[227],"class_list":["post-31626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-colorado-state-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Professors in academia are often expected to exude confidence, but the reality of impostor syndrome \u2014 a pervasive feeling of self-doubt despite objective success \u2014 can influence how they are perceived by their students. New research from Colorado State University (CSU) reveals the significant impact this phenomenon can have on professors&#8217; perceived competence, likability and&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31626"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31633,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31626\/revisions\/31633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}