An Examination of Impostor Phenomenon in Community College Students

• In Event: Community College Student Success

Abstract

Undergraduates who experience impostor phenomenon (IP) feel like they are undeserving of their successes, which is associated with various negative outcomes. IP has been widely examined in four-year institutions; however, community college students have been largely overlooked in this literature. We aimed to fill this gap by investigating levels of IP in a community college sample. Results indicated that these community college students had moderate IP levels. ANOVA results revealed significant differences in IP between first-generation and non-first-generation students as well as significant differences between students with a diagnosed disability and those without such a diagnosis. Differences in IP between minority and non-minority students were marginally significant. Results have implications for future research and practice with community college students.

Authors

• Shanda Jeanette Jenkins, Old Dominion University

• Tony Perez, Old Dominion University