"I Am Not Enough": Impostor Phenomenon Experiences of University Students

Angela M. Zavaleta Bernuy, Anna Ly, Brian Harrington, Michael Liut, Sadia Sharmin, Lisa Zhang, Andrew Petersen

Abstract: Recent work has confirmed that computing students experience the Imposter Phenomenon (IP) at higher rates than reported in other disciplines. However, no work has examined what aspects of the university computing experience might lead to a higher rate of IP experiences. We aim to illustrate the IP experiences students have, identify common sources of these experiences, and document the effects of these experiences and how students respond to them. We asked undergraduate students to share recent experiences that illustrate their experiences with the IP. We conducted an inductive thematic analysis on these open-ended responses, resulting in a set of inter-connected themes. A significant fraction of students related stories about making comparisons with peers or observing peer behaviour that made them question their abilities. Students also spoke about holding unrealistic expectations learned from their peers or imposed by the environment. These experiences may be particularly acute for minority-affiliated students who may come to feel they do not belong. Ultimately, these IP experiences can lead to a loss of motivation or a cycle of failure that leads students to leave computing. The central role social comparisons play in IP experiences suggests that it is particularly important to foster communities where opportunities for comparison are reduced and where realistic expectations are explicitly set.