MANIFESTATION MECHANISMS OF IMPOSTOR SYNDROME IN DIFFERENT AGE PERIODS

Abstract

Impostor syndrome (also referred to as the impostor phenomenon) is a psychological pattern characterized by persistent self-doubt, fear of exposure as a “fraud,” and an inability to internalize one’s own accomplishments despite objective evidence of competence. Although the phenomenon was first described among high-achieving professional women, contemporary research demonstrates that it emerges across the entire human lifespan, from primary-school-aged children to older adults, and that its underlying mechanisms shift systematically with developmental stage. This thesis examines how impostor feelings are triggered, expressed, and reinforced during childhood and adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood.