The impostor phenomenon in British university students: Relationships between self-esteem, mental health, parental rearing style and socioeconomic status

The role of perceived parental rearing style, parental background, self-est eem, mental health and demographic variables upon impostor phenomenon JP; P sychotherapy: Theory Research and Practice, 15, (1978) 241-247] intensity w as investigated using a cross-sectional survey design, with 107 subjects (7 8 females, 29 males). A regression analysis revealed that both greater degr ee of perceived parental control and lower levels of self-esteem emerged as significant predictors of impostor fears, together accounting for 50% of t he variation in impostor scores. Parental care score, parental educational and occupational level and subject's mental health and demographic informat ion did not show a significant relationship to impostor scores. A post-hoc regression analysis indicated, however, that in addition to parental protec tion, lower care and poorer mental health was significantly related to incr easing levels of impostor scores and with subjects having attended private school reporting lower levels of impostor feelings. In addition, subjects c lassified as impostors were found to report significantly higher GHQ scores (poorer mental health) than non-impostors. These findings, which are inter preted in terms of parenting styles, indicate that the role of parental ove rprotection may be especially implicated in impostor fears. (C) 2001 Elsevi er Science Ltd. All rights reserved.