Racial Identity and the Impostor Phenomenon

in African American College Students LAVASIA M. JACKSON

COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

Research Question, Purpose, & InterestsWhat is the relationship between racial identity and impostorism in African American college students attending a predominately white institution (PWI)?• Purpose & Interests• To understand psychological well-being or distress among Blacks in

relation to racial identity, education, racism, perceived racism, environment, and family structure

• Research with minority racial groups have been limited in previous decades

• Matriculation, retention, and graduation rates of African American college students

Operational Definitions & Previous Research

RACIAL IDENTITYIMPOSTORISM – IMPOSTOR PHENOMENON

Racial Identity• Racial Identity – the extent that one identifies with being

black• The more strongly African Americans identify with their

racial group the more positively they will perceive their group Hughes, Keicolt, Keith, and Demo (2015)

• More group identification is related to fewer depressive symptoms, higher self esteem, and higher mastery (control of outcomes) Hughes, Keicolt, Keith, and Demo (2015)

• Cultural, institutional, and individualized race-related stress influence African American activism Szymanski and Lewis (2015)

Impostorism – The Impostor Phenomenon (IP)• IP – when individuals experience feelings of inadequacy or

illusion of personal incompetence even though they may be externally successful Clance and Imes, 1978; cited in Chrisman, Piper, Clance, Holland, and Glickauf-Hughes (1995)

• Positive relationship between IP and depression McGregor, Gee, and Posey (2008)

• Low psychological well-being and low ethnic identity lead to stronger feelings of IP Peteet, Montgomery, and Weekes (2015)

• Stronger IP leads to more psychological distress and lower self-esteem Peteet, Brown, Lige, and Lanaway (2015)

MethodDESIGN

PARTICIPANTSMATERIALSPROCEDURE

Method• Design: Non-experimental, correlational• Participants:• Coastal Carolina University Students• Total Sample (N): 135 (63 women, 72 men)• Final Sample Analyzed: 128 (62 women, 66 men)• Age:• Range: 18-26• Mean: 20.18

• Ethnicity:• African American = 123• Bi-racial (African American and another race) = 5

Method (cont.)• Materials• Demographic Survey• Obtained information related to age, sex, ethnicity, class status, academic

major and information about involvement in African American clubs or organizations

• Racial Identity Scale for Low Income African Americans (RISLIAA)• Assesses positive Afrocentric or pro-Black attitudes and behaviors and

racism or anti-White attitudes• Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS)• Assesses illusions of personal incompetence in individuals who are

externally successful• Determines whether or not an individual has IP characteristics, and

degree of suffering from the impostor phenomenon

Method (cont.)• Procedure• Solicited subjects in predominately African American organizations

and clubs on the CCU campus, and in the library and other venues on the university campus

• Informed that participation was voluntary and responses anonymous• Packet of materials• Demographic Survey• RISLIAA• CIPS

• Each participant was given contact information to obtain results of my study

PredictionThe more one identifies with being black, the less the feelings of inadequacy or incompetence as reflected in IP scores• Hypothesized a positive correlation between racial identity

scores and IP scores

Results & DiscussionRESULTS

LIMITATIONSFURTHER RESEARCH

IMPORTANCE AND IMPLICATIONS

Results: Correlation between RISLIAA & CIPS Scores

r(108) = -.299, p < .01

*Lower scores on the RISLIAA indicate stronger racial identity; higher scores on the CIPS indicate stronger feelings of impostorism

20 30 40 50 60 70 8020

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

RISLIAA Scores

CIP

S Sc

ores

• Negative correlation• Stronger racial identity = more feelings of impostorism

Correlation between RISLIAA and CIPS Scores

• No gender difference for feelings of impostorism• t(123) = .073, p > .05

• Significant difference as a function of class status• F(3,120) = 4.48, p < 0.1• Freshmen and juniors differed significantly (p < .05)• Freshmen and seniors differed significantly (p < .01)

CIPS

Freshmen Sophomore Junior Senior

61.5

9

55.3

2

54.3

8

50.4

4

CIPS

Class Status

Scal

e Sc

ores

Mean Score = 55.34Possible Range = 20-100Actual Range = 34-98

*Higher score indicate stronger feelings of impostorism

• Women identified stronger with their race than men• t(111) = 2.55, p < 0.01

• No racial identity difference between African American and bi-racial students

• t(111) = -1.29, p > .05

RISLIAAMean Score = 47.07Possible Range = 20-82Actual Range = 34-61

*Lower score indicate stronger racial identity

Limitations• Use of the RISLIAA• Most participants were solicited in groups at club or

organization meetings• Demographic survey items about club/organization

involvement not analyzed independently

Suggestions for Further Research• Use of a different scale to measure racial identity in college

students• Colorblindness and how it affects minority college students• Relationships among racial identity, the impostor

phenomenon, and attitudes about colorblindness• Research on this topic among multiple racial groups

Importance and Implications• “Racially minoritized students in the United States, who mostly

attend predominantly White institutions, face the challenge of considering and resolving questions of identity in environments that are generally unprepared to support these students effectively (Feagin, Vera, & Imani 1996; Fleming 1984; McEwen, Roper, Bryant, & Langa, 1990” cited in Stewart 2015, p. 238).”

• Negative self-evaluation can lead to problems or concerns • Results of this study have implications for:• Creating diverse and inclusive environments for African American

students on college campuses• Helping psychologists and campus mental health professionals better

assist people of color for acceptance of self