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Impostor fears and perfectionistic concern over mistakes

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 12:29 authored by Thompson, T, Foreman, P, Martin, F
Impostors are outwardly successful individuals who experience secret intense feelings of fraudulence in achievement situations. Elements of perfectionism are evident in a tendency on the part of impostors to maintain high standards for personal evaluation while being critical of their inability to realise these standards. This study utilised a 2 (impostor status: high, low) × 2 (task type: high vs. low frequency of mistakes) between-subjects factorial design to investigate the connection between impostor fears and perfectionistic concern over mistakes. Sixty undergraduate students completed either a high or low frequency of mistake Stroop Colour-Word task, following which they completed items assessing perceptions of their performance, concern over mistakes, perceptions of control and anxiety, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale and the Russell Causal Dimension Scale. Links with perfectionistic concern over mistakes and anxiety were strongly supported, with impostors reporting less control, greater anxiety, more negative affect and greater concern over mistakes than non-impostors irrespective of experimental condition. The roles of anxiety and perfectionist cognitions in the maintenance of impostor fears are discussed. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

History

Publication title

Personality and Individual Differences

Volume

29

Issue

4

Pagination

629-647

ISSN

0191-8869

Department/School

School of Psychological Sciences

Publisher

Elsevier Science Ltd

Place of publication

New Jersey, USA

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in psychology

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    University Of Tasmania

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