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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
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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
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