Whether in personal life or at work, imposter syndrome can poison the self-esteem of many women. It corresponds to a feeling of inferiority, permanent self-doubt, a fear of being unmasked, a constant lack of legitimacy or even a fear of failure according to France Travail.
If you suffer from this syndrome, don’t panic. According to France Travail, 70% of the world’s population has already felt this feeling at some point in their lives, and particularly women. Indeed, in the professional sphere, many clichés still circulate about women’s skills, which can affect their view of their merit and legitimacy.
Imposter Syndrome: Is There a Difference Between Men and Women?
A study from the University of California published June 19 in the journal Current Research in Behavioral Science has just looked into the difference between imposter syndrome in women and menanalyzing more than 40 years of data from 42,000 people around the world. According to the scientists, this work is the first to demonstrate that there is indeed a difference in imposter syndrome between men and women.
Following their observations, the researchers concluded: “We believe that an appropriate answer to the question of whether there is a gender difference in imposter syndrome is yes”“. Furthermore, they explain that they did not find evidence that these gender differences had diminished over time. Women would therefore be more and more subject than men to imposter syndrome. in their professional lives. Furthermore, scientists have observed that these differences are moderated by several factors, such as the field of activity, the geographical region, or even the method of measuring imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome: here are the professions where women are most affected according to researchers
In which environments are women more likely to be affected by imposter syndrome? According to the study’s researchers, gender differences in imposter syndrome are smaller in business than in other occupations observed. In fact, conversely, women working in academia, in the health sector, or even female cosmetic surgeons would be particularly prone to imposter syndrome according to the results of the study.
According to the study’s scientists, these findings should encourage researchers studying this phenomenon to be aware of this distinction, and to take it into account in their work.
Sources :
- Gender Differences in Impostor Phenomenon: A Meta-Analytic Review – Current Research in Behavioral Science – 19 juin 2024
- Imposter syndrome: our advice to get rid of it – France Travail
