Additional Evidence for the Prevalence of the Impostor Phenomenon in Computing

Motivation Despite the widespread belief that computing practitioners frequently experience the Imposter Phenomenon (IP), little formal work has measured the prevalence of IP in the computing community despite its negative effect on achievement. Objectives This study aims to replicate recent work that has suggested that IP experiences are widespread in computing students and to extend that work by exploring the relationship between the IP, progress in the program, and ethnic identity. Methods A survey with several demographic questions (gender, ethnicity, international status, and year of study) and Clance's IP scale (CIPS) was deployed to students in post-secondary computing courses. Correlations between demographic factors and CIPS scores were evaluated, and a linear model was constructed to explore the interaction between demographic factors of interest. Results We reaffirm that a high proportion of CS students meet the IP diagnostic criteria and that women report higher CIPS scores than men. We also present evidence that Asian students with domestic and international status report different levels of IP experiences. Discussion These findings highlight the importance – to educators at all levels – of cultivating belonging in computing communities.