New research indicates that the phenomenon known as imposter syndrome is strongly linked to rigid and self-critical forms of perfectionism but shares no connection with narcissistic perfectionism. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of how feelings of inadequacy coexist with high standards. The study was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
Imposter phenomenon describes a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” This experience is common among high-achieving individuals who struggle to internalize their success. While previous inquiries have associated imposter feelings with general perfectionism, psychologists recognize that perfectionism is not a single, monolithic trait. It is composed of different dimensions that manifest in unique ways.
One dimension is rigid perfectionism, which involves an inflexible insistence that one’s own performance must be flawless. Another is self-critical perfectionism, characterized by harsh self-judgment and distress over making mistakes. The third is narcissistic perfectionism, where an individual holds a grandiose belief that they are superior and entitled to special treatment.
“The imposter phenomenon, often colloquially referred to as imposter syndrome, describes the feelings of inadequacy and intellectual phoniness experienced by some high achieving individuals, comprised of the sense of being a fraud, fear of being discovered, and difficulty internalizing success,” said study author Colin Xu, an assistant professor at the University of Idaho.
“Imposterism has previously been linked to neuroticism, depression, and anxiety. Imposterism has also been positively correlated with trait perfectionism. However, there remains an open question about the relationship between which dimensions of perfectionism are specifically related to imposterism. Our study sought to examine the relationship between imposterism and the subtypes of self-critical, rigid, and narcissistic perfectionism.”
To investigate these relationships, the research team recruited a sample of 278 undergraduate students from the University of Pennsylvania. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 24. The sample was predominantly female and included a diverse range of racial and ethnic backgrounds. All data collection took place online.
Participants completed the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale, a widely used tool designed to assess feelings of phoniness and self-doubt. This scale measures three specific aspects of the condition. These include feeling like a “fake,” attributing success to luck, and discounting one’s own success.
Participants also completed the Big Three Perfectionism Scale. This assessment asked individuals to rate their agreement with statements reflecting the three subtypes of perfectionism. Statements assessed standards of rigidity, tendencies toward self-criticism, and feelings of grandiosity or superiority.
The data analysis revealed that overall feelings of imposterism were positively correlated with total perfectionism scores. When the researchers examined the specific subtypes, they found distinct patterns. Participants who scored high on imposterism also tended to score high on rigid perfectionism. A similar strong positive relationship was observed between imposterism and self-critical perfectionism.
A different pattern emerged regarding narcissistic perfectionism. The analysis showed no significant relationship between feelings of being an imposter and narcissistic perfectionism. This suggests that the grandiose belief in one’s own superiority does not typically coexist with the paralyzing self-doubt of imposter syndrome.
The researchers also looked at the specific components of imposterism to understand these dynamics better. They found that the tendency to discount one’s own success was negatively correlated with narcissistic perfectionism. This means that individuals who view themselves as superior are significantly less likely to minimize their achievements.
The “fake” factor of imposterism, which involves feeling like a fraud, showed a strong positive link to self-critical perfectionism. This aligns with the idea that self-critical individuals constantly scrutinize their own performance and fear exposure. However, this feeling of phoniness was unrelated to narcissistic perfectionism.
The study also examined the tendency to attribute success to luck. This factor was positively associated with self-critical perfectionism. Individuals who are hard on themselves often fail to take credit for their wins, believing instead that they just got lucky.
These findings suggest that the cycle of worry and fear often described in imposter syndrome is fueled specifically by rigid and self-critical tendencies. The data indicates that not all perfectionists suffer from these feelings of inadequacy. Those with narcissistic perfectionism traits appear to be buffered against the self-doubt that characterizes the imposter phenomenon.
The results provide evidence that narcissistic perfectionism functions differently from other forms of perfectionism. It is characterized by self-defensiveness and self-promotion rather than the self-deprecation seen in imposterism. This distinction helps explain why some high achievers suffer from anxiety and procrastination while others maintain a robust, if sometimes unrealistic, self-view.
The study does have some limitations. The reliance on a sample of high-achieving undergraduate students from a prestigious university limits the generalizability of the results. It is unclear if these patterns would hold true in a general community sample or among older adults in the workforce.
The study design was cross-sectional, capturing data at only one point in time. This prevents researchers from determining the direction of causality. It is not possible to say whether rigid perfectionism causes imposter feelings or if imposter feelings lead to the development of rigid standards.
Future research could benefit from longitudinal designs that track these traits over time. Such studies could help clarify how perfectionism and imposterism interact throughout a person’s development. Additionally, future work might measure objective achievement, such as GPA or job performance, to see if the level of actual success influences these relationships.
Understanding the specific type of perfectionism an individual exhibits could help tailor therapeutic interventions. Treatments that target self-criticism and rigidity might be particularly effective for reducing imposter feelings. In contrast, interventions for narcissistic perfectionism would likely require a different approach.
“Past research by Clane & Imes (1978) proposed that when confronted by challenges, individuals high on imposterism enter a cycle of worry and fear, followed by either a combination of immobility and procrastination or a combination of perfectionism and overpreparation,” Xu told PsyPost. “Understanding this relationship between subtypes of perfectionism and imposterism is important to understanding how imposterism contributes to downstream effects on negative outcomes like anxiety, depression, and procrastination.”
“We found that imposterism was strongly positively correlated to the subtypes of rigid and self-critical perfectionism, but showed a null correlation with narcissistic perfectionism. Thus, it appears imposterism and perfectionism are closely related constructs, but there are important distinctions between the subtypes of each.”
The study, “Imposterism and perfectionism: Imposterism predicts rigid and self-critical perfectionism, but not narcissistic perfectionism,” was authored by Colin Xu, Caitlyn Kim, Katelyn Candido, Isabel Germano Salerni, and Albena Ruseva.