Impostor Phenomenon in STEM: Narratives From U.S.-Based Latina Professors

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Expanding Research on Latinas/os/x in STEM (Table 25)

Abstract

Impostor phenomenon encompasses a distorted sense of self-competence evaluation; one fears intellectual fraudulence, attributing achievements to luck and others overestimating their ability. This US-based study qualitatively explored how Latina professors describe their impostor phenomenon in STEM. Thirteen Latina professors participated through convenience and snowball sampling. One-on-one, semi-structured phone interviews (~30-45-minutes) were conducted. Data were collected/analyzed using constant comparison and analytic induction to construct themes. Themes included cultural aspects of being Latina, explicit or implicit messaging at work, mistreatment from colleagues, and mistreatment from students. Latina professors felt like impostors through “othering” and a lack of acknowledgment of one’s faculty status. Tailored mentorship and professional development opportunities for future Latina faculty and PhD students could combat impostor feelings.

Author

• Devasmita Chakraverty, Indian Institute of Management