Are worldview, collective self-esteem and multigroup ethnic identity protective?
The primary objective of this study was to explore the presence of the “Imposter Phenomenon,” (IP) feeling like an intellectual fraud, among a sample of high-achieving women of color. A secondary objective was to investigate the possible protective function of individual difference variables that might help women of color to defend against IP. These variables included: self-esteem as it related to being a member of a particular racial or ethnic group (collective self-esteem); a worldview in which partnerships with others and invisible forms of achievement (e.g., spirituality) were valued as much as unaided, tangible achievements (worldview); and an identity in which race and ethnicity were integral to self-image and presumed to be well-regarded by others (multigroup ethnic identity). The study sampled 208 highly educated women of color who were born in the United States and who were either currently earning, or had already earned, a graduate degree. Participants completed a demographic
