Examining the Impostor-Profile-Is There a General Impostor Characteristic?

Area of Science:

• Psychological Measurement
• Social Psychology

Background:

• The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is a significant psychological construct impacting individuals across various domains.
• Existing measures require validation regarding their dimensionality and psychometric properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Impostor-Profile (IPP) questionnaire's psychometric properties.
• To assess the appropriateness of a total score for the IPP.
• To examine measurement invariance across gender and convergent validity of subscales.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare four models (correlating subscales, general factor, second-order, bifactorial) to determine the best fit for the IPP.
• Measurement invariance (MI) across gender was tested using configural, metric, and scalar invariance.
• Reliability was assessed using omega coefficients, and convergent validity was examined for IPP subscales.

Main Results:

• A bifactorial model demonstrated the best fit, supporting the use of a total score for the IPP.
• The IPP exhibited configural, metric, and partial scalar measurement invariance between genders.
• Reliability was sufficient (omega ≥ 0.71) for most subscales, with notable exceptions.
• Gender differences in latent means of Impostor Phenomenon expressions were observed.

Conclusions:

• The IPP is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring the Impostor Phenomenon.
• A total score derived from the IPP is meaningful and complements its multidimensional nature.
• The findings support the IPP's utility in research and clinical practice for understanding impostor feelings.