research-article

Additional Evidence for the Prevalence of the Impostor Phenomenon in Computing

Authors:

Angela Zavaleta Bernuy,

Brian Harrington,

Andrew Petersen,

Lisa ZhangAuthors Info & Claims

SIGCSE 2022: Proceedings of the 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education - Volume 1

Pages 654 - 660

https://doi.org/10.1145/3478431.3499282

Published: 22 February 2022 Publication History

Abstract

Motivation Despite the widespread belief that computing practitioners frequently experience the Imposter Phenomenon (IP), little formal work has measured the prevalence of IP in the computing community despite its negative effect on achievement.

Objectives This study aims to replicate recent work that has suggested that IP experiences are widespread in computing students and to extend that work by exploring the relationship between the IP, progress in the program, and ethnic identity.

Methods A survey with several demographic questions (gender, ethnicity, international status, and year of study) and Clance's IP scale (CIPS) was deployed to students in post-secondary computing courses. Correlations between demographic factors and CIPS scores were evaluated, and a linear model was constructed to explore the interaction between demographic factors of interest.

Results We reaffirm that a high proportion of CS students meet the IP diagnostic criteria and that women report higher CIPS scores than men. We also present evidence that Asian students with domestic and international status report different levels of IP experiences.

Discussion These findings highlight the importance – to educators at all levels – of cultivating belonging in computing communities.

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Cited By

Al Lawati AAl Rawahi NWaladwadi TAlmadailwi RAlhabsi AAl Lawati HAl-Mahrouqi TAl Sinawi H(2025)Impostor phenomenon: a narrative review of manifestations, diagnosis, and treatmentMiddle East Current Psychiatry10.1186/s43045-025-00512-232:1Online publication date: 4-Mar-2025
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-025-00512-2
Smith K(2024)Admissions, Organization, Culture, and Policy: Understanding the Postsecondary Structures that Shape Women’s Entry into Computing Bachelor’s ProgramsAERA Open10.1177/2332858424129075810Online publication date: 12-Nov-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241290758
Feijóo-García Pde Siqueira ARodríguez-Rey TOmojokun O(2024)Navigating the Impostor Phenomenon in Computer Science Education: Insights from Two Major Southeastern Institutions in the United States2024 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)10.1109/FIE61694.2024.10893023(1-6)Online publication date: 13-Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE61694.2024.10893023
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Additional Evidence for the Prevalence of the Impostor Phenomenon in Computing
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education

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cover image ACM Conferences

SIGCSE 2022: Proceedings of the 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education - Volume 1

February 2022

1049 pages

ISBN:9781450390705

DOI:10.1145/3478431

General Chairs:
Larry Merkle
Air Force Institute of Technology, USA
,
Maureen Doyle
Northern Kentucky University, USA
,
Program Chairs:
Judithe Sheard
Monash University, Australia
,
Leen-Kiat Soh
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
,
Brian Dorn
University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA

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Published: 22 February 2022

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SIGCSE 2022: The 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education

March 3 - 5, 2022

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Cited By

Al Lawati AAl Rawahi NWaladwadi TAlmadailwi RAlhabsi AAl Lawati HAl-Mahrouqi TAl Sinawi H(2025)Impostor phenomenon: a narrative review of manifestations, diagnosis, and treatmentMiddle East Current Psychiatry10.1186/s43045-025-00512-232:1Online publication date: 4-Mar-2025
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-025-00512-2
Smith K(2024)Admissions, Organization, Culture, and Policy: Understanding the Postsecondary Structures that Shape Women’s Entry into Computing Bachelor’s ProgramsAERA Open10.1177/2332858424129075810Online publication date: 12-Nov-2024
https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241290758
Feijóo-García Pde Siqueira ARodríguez-Rey TOmojokun O(2024)Navigating the Impostor Phenomenon in Computer Science Education: Insights from Two Major Southeastern Institutions in the United States2024 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)10.1109/FIE61694.2024.10893023(1-6)Online publication date: 13-Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE61694.2024.10893023
Akhmadi STsakalerou M(2023)Exploring gender imbalances in innovation and entrepreneurship: evidence from a global south countryInternational Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship10.1108/IJGE-08-2022-014515:3(275-292)Online publication date: 14-Sep-2023
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJGE-08-2022-0145

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