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The current research employs a mixed-methods approach to examine associations among mentoring, academic belonging, and the imposter phenomenon (i.e., persistent self-doubt) among undergraduate women. Participants were 383 women who were undergraduates in an introductory psychology course at a public university in the Southwestern United States. Approximately half of the sample reported that they had either an academic or non-academic mentor. Quantitative analyses revealed that women with mentors had lower levels of imposter feelings and higher levels of academic belonging compared to those without mentors. Qualitative analyses explored whether and how women discussed their imposter experiences with their mentors. Using a deductive approach informed by feminist research on empowerment, thematic analysis revealed two key themes: combatting imposter phenomenon at the individual level and acknowledging imposter phenomenon as a shared experience. Together, these themes provide new insight into how mentors can help women cope with imposter experiences. The current study highlights novel associations between mentoring and women’s academic experiences. The findings also indicate that academic and non-academic mentors can both play a helpful role in enhancing women’s academic experiences and alleviating feelings of inadequacy.
Beltran et al. (Sat,) studied this question.