This dissertation investigates the socio-psychological factors of the impostor phenomenon. The study theoretically substantiates and empirically verifies a comprehensive model of the socio-psychological determination of the impostor phenomenon. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the identification of gender-specific mechanisms underlying the formation of the impostor phenomenon, the substantiation of serial mediation between its cognitive and resource components, and the establishment of a qualitative transformation of psychological defenses depending on the intensity of impostor experiences.
The first chapter provides a theoretical and methodological analysis of the impostor phenomenon. It reveals the dual nature of the phenomenon as both a stable disposition and a situational state triggered under conditions of social evaluation. Key psychological approaches to understanding the construct are systematized, and a three-level model of the phenomenon's determination is substantiated. This model integrates extrapersonal factors (the demands of a highly competitive academic environment, family dynamics, macro-contextual stress, and the impact of wartime conditions), intrapersonal factors (maladaptive perfectionism, self-regulation deficits, ego depletion, academic procrastination), and interpersonal factors (insecure attachment styles, impairment of multidimensional basic trust).
The second chapter outlines the methodological framework and organizational stages of the empirical research. It presents the results of the exploratory phase, which empirically confirmed that intense impostorism is accompanied by a specific anxious-asthenic emotional cluster (high levels of anxiety, fatigue, and helplessness), while remaining relatively independent of general depression. Based on these findings, the conceptual model for the main stage was developed, the sample was characterized, and the high reliability and psychometric adequacy of the applied diagnostic battery, comprising six standardized instruments, were statistically proven.
The third chapter details the comprehensive results of the main empirical study conducted on a sample of university students (N = 483). Descriptive statistics confirmed the high prevalence of the phenomenon, with 55.5% of students demonstrating high and very high levels of impostorism. The highest vulnerability was recorded in academic majors characterized by a high degree of epistemological uncertainty (humanities and IT).
Exploratory factor analysis revealed gender specificity in the latent structure of predictors. Specifically, in females, perfectionistic standards are closely intertwined with anxiety and the fear of rejection, which catalyzes rapid resource depletion. In contrast, in males, perfectionism functions more as an autonomous adaptive resource, with introjected parental pressure serving as the primary source of anxiety.
Stepwise multiple regression analysis determined the hierarchy of direct predictors (the model accounts for 63.3% of the variance). The findings proved that the cognitive core of the phenomenon consists of concern over mistakes and doubts about actions. Their destructive impact is further amplified by resource deficits (ego depletion, academic procrastination) and compromised basic security (anxious and dismissive-ambivalent attachment styles, decreased trust in the world).
Structural equation modeling (SEM) confirmed the existence of a partial mediation mechanism between the predictors and the dependent variable, isolating the key predictors of the impostor phenomenon in student youth. It was established that the loss of self-regulatory resources (ego depletion) acts as a crucial mediating link in the interaction between predictors and impostorism. The results determined that maladaptive perfectionism and anxious attachment not only directly generate feelings of intellectual fraudulence but also systematically deplete the student's volitional resources. This depletion, further exacerbated by the overarching existential background of the war, paralyzes the ability to internalize success and ultimately reinforces the “impostor cycle”.
