Impostor feelings widespread among women of color in certain academic fields

Women in academic disciplines that are seen as requiring exceptional intelligence or raw talent to succeed are more likely to encounter feelings of impostor syndrome.

It’s particularly prevalent among women from racial or ethnic groups that are often underrepresented in academia, including Black, Hispanic and native women, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, per a New York University news release.

“Based on previous research, it is likely that women from these groups have stronger impostor feelings in brilliance-oriented fields because they are targeted by negative gender, racial and ethnic stereotypes about their intellect,” said Melis Muradoglu, an NYU doctoral candidate and lead author of the study — the largest yet on impostor syndrome, Inside Higher Ed reported.

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