The Impostor Phenomenon in the Global Computing Graduate Student Population

What is it about?

This study investigates the rate at which graduate computing students around the world experience the Impostor Phenomenon. The Impostor Phenomenon refers to a feeling where an individual does not think they are as successful as others perceive or that their accomplishments are the product of luck. The authors surveyed graduate computing students across several continents to determine the proportion of students who experience the Impostor Phenomenon in educational institutions across a range of geographic locations. High rates of Imposter Phenomenon experiences were observed across most institutions, yet the rates tend to be higher in North America, Europe and Oceania and lower in South America, Asia and Africa.

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Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Discovering that the Impostor Phenomenon is present among graduate computing students internationally confirms that it is not just a North American problem. However, the prevalence of the Impostor Phenomenon varies across the sites surveyed, suggesting that there are factors in the cultural or educational environment that might reduce the prevalence of the phenomenon. Identifying factors that are related to lower rates of the Impostor Phenomenon would provide a foundation for other educational institutions to implement these factors, hopefully creating healthier and more supportive environments for graduate students in computing.