Have you ever been recognized for an achievement?  If so, you may question whether or not you truly earned that recognition. "Did they feel sorry for me for some reason? Maybe I fooled them into thinking I am more competent than I truly am?  What if they find out that I am not really who they think I am?"

 

If these thoughts have been found creeping their way into your mind, you are not alone.  There are many other men and women who share these thoughts.  And you may be surprised at who some of them are:  Sheryl Sandberg, John Steinbeck, Meryl Streep, Maya Angelou, and Neurosurgeon Henry Marsh.

 

The term "Imposter Phenomenon" was coined in 1978 after psychologists, Dr. Pauline R. Clance and Dr. Suzanne A. Imes,  interviewed 150 high-achieving women who struggled with their own perception of self.  Studies now show that this phenomenon is not reserved for women alone.  Many men feel like frauds too.  

 

So if women and men experience Imposter Phenomenon, don't children as well?  

 

In 3rd grade, I participated in a jump roping contest at my school.  I was the last child jumping and won the contest with over 500 consecutive jumps.  At the end of the school year, I was absolutely shocked to receive the "Presidential Physical Fitness Award."  I was not really an athletic kid.  I just jumped a bunch of times.  I remember feeling that I did not deserve the award.  I felt that it had been wrongly bestowed on me.  As a 9-year-old child, I felt like an imposter.

 

The realization that children experience Imposter Phenomenon has caused me to question some of the mindset around "high achieving" and "gifted" students.  At times, I have heard educators express frustration about parents of high-achievers who "think their children are gifted."   I know these statements are probably based more on perfectionism in the parent than aptitude of the child, but we adults need to be careful.  The social and emotional characteristics of  a bright child are not as black and white as scores on the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT).  Children who do not meet the cutoff for intellectual giftedness may still experience Imposter Syndrome.   If not mindful of their emotional vulnerability, we can further perpetuate their internal perception of inadequacy.

 

In my experience, most children are already worried that they aren't smart enough, talented enough or good enough.  They are scared of failing.  They do not believe in themselves.  When they do well, they feel like frauds.  Are we really worried that they might be too self-confident?  

 

I suspect that Imposter Phenomenon does not exist without a good dose of the executive skill of metacognition which is essentially the ability to think analytically about one's own thinking.  It enables us to learn from ourselves and experience intrapersonal growth.  There are many children, not identified as intellectually "gifted" by the educational system, who actually have high metacognition and are likely to experience Imposter Phenomenon.

 

As parents, our awareness of  Imposter Phenomenon can help us be more cognizant of recognizing when our children experience it.  We can let them know that they are not alone in feeling this way.  This simple understanding may enable them to move through it instead of allowing it to be a barrier to their potential.

 

 

Imposter Phenomenon demands authenticity; causing us to question our own competence.  Ironically, that questioning may just be the magic sauce that makes us competent.