Feeling like a fraud at work? A 3-minute reflection on imposter feelings

About 3 minutes · 12 statements · Your answers stay on this page

A lot of capable people go through the day with a quiet voice saying they aren't as good as everyone thinks, and that sooner or later someone will notice. That experience has a name, the imposter phenomenon, and it is widely reported, including by people with clear records of success. This reflection looks at two parts of it: how much you tend to explain your own successes away, and how braced you are for being found out. You'll rate twelve everyday statements from 'Not at all like me' to 'Very much like me', which takes about three minutes. Afterwards we'll share where your answers seem to sit, what that can look like, what we see as useful in it, where it can cost you, one small practice to try today, and a few questions worth sitting with. It describes feelings, and feelings tend to come and go with the situation: a new role, a new team, a room where you're the only one like you. Your answers never leave this page.

This is a reflection, not a diagnosis. Imposter feelings are a common human experience, and this reflection cannot measure your ability or your wellbeing. If self-doubt is wearing you down, or comes with low mood or constant worry, a doctor, therapist or counsellor can help in ways a reflection cannot.

About the idea

The term 'imposter phenomenon' was coined in 1978 by two psychologists, based on their work with high-achieving women who felt, despite clear evidence of success, that they weren't truly capable and had somehow fooled other people. Later research found it in men as well, and across many professions and ages. You'll also see it spelled 'impostor'; both spellings refer to the same experience.

In 2020 a team led by the physician and researcher Dena Bravata published a systematic review (a review that gathers every study it can find on a question) of 62 studies covering 14,161 people, searching up to May 2018. The studies gave very different estimates of how common these feelings are, from 9 to 82 percent, mostly because they used different questionnaires and different cut-off points (the line used to decide who counts). Imposter feelings turned up among both men and women and at ages from adolescence to late career. They were associated with lower job performance and satisfaction and with burnout, and often occurred alongside low mood and anxiety. The review also found particularly high rates in some ethnic minority groups, which is a reminder to look at the setting as well as the person, for example when you're the only one like you in the room. It found no published studies that had tested treatments, and it noted that the studies varied a lot and that studies with striking results may be more likely to be published.

So imposter feelings are a real and common experience, and how many people have them depends heavily on how you measure. Because the review found them alongside low mood and anxiety, it's worth talking to someone if the doubt is heavy. Everyday supports are also reasonable to try: talking it through with someone you trust, and keeping a record of what you've actually done. They haven't been formally tested for this, but they're low-risk and easy to start. The two lines in this reflection are a simple lens written for IX Coach, with statements written fresh rather than taken from any published scale.

What this reflection looks at

• Explaining your wins away — Higher means you more often explain your successes away as luck, timing or other people's help.
• Fear of being found out — Higher means you more often feel braced for someone to notice you are not as capable as they think.

Questions people ask

Sources

1. Clance, P. R. & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247. doi.org/10.1037/h0086006
   Supports: The origin of the term imposter phenomenon and the original description of it.
2. Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., Madhusudhan, D. K., Taylor, K. T., Clark, D. M., Nelson, R. S., Cokley, K. O. & Hagg, H. K. (2020). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: a systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252–1275. doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1
   Supports: Prevalence ranged widely (9 to 82 percent) by measure; common across men, women and ages; associated with job performance, job satisfaction and burnout; often alongside depression and anxiety; no treatment studies found.

The statements in this reflection were written for IX Coach; they are not taken from any published questionnaire. Last reviewed 2026-10-03.