“Feeling out of place”: A mixed methods investigation of the impostor phenomenon among BIPOC and LGBTQ STEM college students

This mixed‐methods study examines the experience of the impostor phenomenon in a racially/ethnically and sexually diverse sample of undergraduates in majors related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Guided by an intersectionality framework, we examined whether experiences of the impostor phenomenon differ at the intersection of race, ethnicity, and sexual identity. Survey data from undergraduate STEM students ( N = 735), consisting of 559 (76%) racial/ethnic minorities, 169 (23%) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) individuals, and 119 (16.2%) racialized LGBTQ individuals, revealed racial/ethnic and LGBTQ differences in the impostor phenomenon. Findings also suggest that STEM students with at least one mentor reported lower levels of impostor phenomenon. This finding was not moderated by race/ethnicity or sexual identity, suggesting that mentoring may be a form of social support that offers equivalent benefits to students from diverse STEM educational backgrounds. To supplement the quantitative findings, we collected open and closed‐ended data from participants. Thematic analysis of these data provides insight into the range of coping strategies STEM students use when experiencing the impostor phenomenon. Implications and recommendations for research, theory, and policy are further discussed.