Imposter Syndrome Workshop - Vince & Paola MPIA, February 18th/2020
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Imposter Syndrome Workshop Vince & Paola MPIA, February 18th/2020
Imposter Syndrome
&
Discouraging/Hostile Comments
Outline 1. Introduction and examples in Astronomy 2. Discouraging situations in Astronomy 3. Activities (20 mins) – 2 Truths & 1 Lie – Impostor Syndrome Bingo 4. Some tips to deal with the impostor syndrome
The Imposter Syndrome
Introduced to describe highly successful women who
nevertheless had difficulty internally recognizing their
own achievements and continued to feel as though they
were imposters in their careers.
“The imposter phenomenon in
high achieving women: Dynamics and
therapeutic intervention.”
Clance, Pauline R.; Imes, Suzanne A.
Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice,
Vol 15(3), 1978, 241-247.
The Imposter Syndrome The syndrome is defined by “believing that one’s accomplishments came about not through genuine ability, but as a result of having been lucky, having worked harder than others, and having manipulated other people’s impressions”, while attributing success in others to skill & ‘natural talent’. - Langford & Clance 1993
The Imposter Syndrome • Imposter Syndrome is not a recognized medical disorder, but a very real and common phenomenon • Imposter Syndrome can be greatly worsened by other mental health issues, like depression and anxiety disorders
Examples of Impostor Syndrome
Thoughts
(thanks to the ones who sent some ideas)
1. In general, people tend to believe I am more competent
than I really am.
2. Sometimes, I am afraid others will discover how much
knowledge or ability I lack
3. At times, I feel I am in my current career position though
some kind of mistake (or luck)
4. When I succeed, it is because I work much harder than
others
5. Focus on the limitations/problems/inaccuracies when I
think about my papers, which limits me in advertising my
research to other people, in addition to feelings of
fraudulence and inadequacy.
Women and the Impostor Syndrome in Astronomy AAS paper (2011)
John Johnson
I remember waking up in a cold
sweat one night in early 2010,
about six months after I joined
the faculty at Caltech. I woke up
to the terrifying realization that
I didn't have a contingency plan
for my family for when I would
Assistant Professor in inevitably be either let go or
Caltech (2009-2013) denied tenure.
Professor in Harvard
(2013-)
John Johnson
It was only a matter of time
before my colleagues
discovered how little I know
about astronomy.
They were going to discover
Assistant Professor in that they made a mistake in
Caltech (2009-2013) hiring me as a professor.
Professor in Harvard
(2013-)
His story at:
http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2012/10/guest-post-by-john-johson-impostor.htmlDiscouraging Situations in
Astronomy
They come in different flavors:
• Discouraging comments
• Discouraging referee reports
• Hostile environments
• Hostile questioning
• Proposal & job rejections
• [micro] aggressions (unconscious bias)Vera Rubin
“The day I learned I got my
scholarship to Vassar, I was
really excited because I couldn't
go to college without a
scholarship. I met [my physics
teacher] in the hall … and I told
him I got the scholarship to
Vassar and he said to me, ‘As
long as you stay away from
science, you should do okay’. It
takes an enormous self-esteem
to listen to things like that and
not be demolished.” Vera Rubin [1928-2016]
Professor, Carnegie, DTM
First to realize that galactic rotation curves implied
the presence of dark matterProposal and Job
Rejections
My own experience with the Rutherford application (2015):
"Pinilla also has yet to demonstrate independent
leadership, as most, if not all, of her first-author
publications have co- authors that were also co-authors
during her PhD.[…]
Therefore, it is not clear to me what unique skills she
brings that could not be reproduced by any of her
theoretical collaborators. Similarly, the observational
papers she is on seem generally to be led by other authors.
"[micro] Aggressions from Unconscious Bias
Activities
2 Truths & 1 Lie
We need a handful of volunteers to share their
impostor “Two Truths and a Lie” examples. As a
group, we try to guess which is the false
impostor thought.Activities
Imposter Syndrome Bingo
Groups of 2-4 people
1. If you could pick just one card of the bingo to permanently eliminate
from your life, which would it be – and why?
2. Think of a situation where you broke one of your current marked
cards. What happened? What were some of your thoughts at the time?
How did you feel? What did you do?
3. Is there a “card” on the Bingo that you used to follow, but don’t
anymore? What changed?Tips to deal with the impostor syndrome
Imposter
Reality
Syndrome
If you believe you deserve your success, it’s easier to deal
with:
• Discouraging comments
• Discouraging referee reports
• Hostile environments
• Hostile questioning
• Proposal & job rejections
• [micro] aggressions (unconscious bias)Learn to recognize and react
to your Imposter Syndrome
• Flag Imposter Thoughts:
“ I was lucky to get into that school”
“ They only gave me this award because few
people applied”
“ If I can do it anyone can”
“I got a lot of help”
“They’re just being nice”
“I knew someone”
• Instead, focus on what you did to earn your success –
tell yourself you deserve it, and over time it will
become easier to believe.The competence types • The Perfectionist — achievements don’t count if they aren’t perfect; people who belong in my position do everything perfectly. è Getting things done is often more important than doing them perfectly, not everything deserves your full time and energy, and being effective usually means prioritizing tasks and managing time and energy; sometimes, “good enough” really is good enough. The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It (By Dr. Valerie Young)
The competence types • The Natural Genius — if I don’t have the natural talent to achieve things quickly and easily, those achievements don’t count; people who deserve to be where I am have the innate ability understand things and solve problems instantly and effortlessly. è Time and effort do not devalue achievement, and spending time and effort on your work do not make you less qualified to carry that work out. The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It (By Dr. Valerie Young)
The competence types • The Expert — if I rely on outside sources of knowledge to achieve things, it wasn’t really me who did it; people in my place should know everything they need to get the job done. è There is no end to knowledge, and you can’t possibly know everything! You don’t need to know everything, all you need is to know where to access knowledge you don’t have. The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It (By Dr. Valerie Young)
The competence types • The Rugged Individualist — if I accept outside help or rely on others in any way to achieve things, it wasn’t really me who achieved them; qualified people can do it on their own. è Identify the resources you need to do your work. Yes, this sometimes will include other humans! Smart and competent people know how to ask for what they need and find people who know more than them. It is okay to build upon the work of others. The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It (By Dr. Valerie Young)
The competence types • The Superperson — I should be able to do anything and everything; if I cannot, I don’t deserve the position I have. è It is okay to say no. In fact, you need to sometimes! By removing unnecessary tasks, you have more time for things that matter. The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It (By Dr. Valerie Young)
Be aware that there are many dimensions of research proficiency • “Intelligence”: competence at complex problem solving • Knowledge: Possession of relevant facts and skills • Taste: Ability to identify important, answerable questions • Grit: Ability to persevere, maintain attention, finish tasks, slog through drudgery • Curiosity: Alertness to relevant byways, anomalies • Inuition/Insight: Ability to expose oneself to, select for, and respond to constructive paths. • Communication: Ability to advance ideas and generate needed input from peers
Be aware that there are many
dimensions of research proficiency
• “Intelligence”: competence at complex problem solving
• Knowledge: Possession of relevant facts and skills
• Taste: Ability to identify important, answerable
Find and focus on your own strengths.
questions
• Grit: Ability to persevere, maintain attention, finish
Improve your weakness
tasks, slog through drudgery
with practice
and
• Curiosity: Alertness to timebyways, anomalies
relevant
• Inuition/Insight: Ability to expose oneself to, select for,
and respond to constructive paths.
• Communication: Ability to advance ideas and generate
needed input from peersPerspective
Remember who you are and your own origins. The averaged
number of people who hold a PhD in the world is less than 1%
Share of doctorate holders in the
population (%)Other Tips • Keep a “happy” folder with emails of things you have accomplished, positive feedback from professors or peers. • It can often take an army of positive comments to negate the effects of one negative comment (You may not be emotionally ready to deal with a negative comment that comes out of the blue) • TALK ABOUT IT OUT LOUD TO A HUMAN: Negative thoughts just get worse the more you keep them in your own head
Other Tips • Get lots of second opinions from people you trust – there is a disconnect between your self- assessment and your actual abilities. • Get a mentor! Students who reported feeling mentored appear to be less likely than others to exhibit characteristics of the imposter syndrome (“Women and the Imposter Syndrome in Astronomy”, Ivie & Ephraim, Jan. 2011: AAS Report on Women in Astronomy) • Embrace imperfection
Thank you all for coming and
participating!You can also read
