Between Belief and Belonging: Exploring the Impostor Phenomenon in an Online Doctoral Program
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: ABSTRACTTeresa Outlaw: Between Belief and Belonging: Exploring the Impostor Phenomenon in an Online Doctoral Program This study examined how first-year students in an online doctoral program experienced the impostor phenomenon during their transition into doctoral study. Guided by Self-Efficacy Theory and Validation Theory, it explored how students understood their academic capability, legitimacy, and experiences of validation within the program. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, survey data from the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) were used to group participants into low, moderate, and high levels (CIPS bands) of impostorism. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with a purposive sample to examine how students across these groups described and made meaning of their experiences. Findings indicate that impostor experiences were not solely the result of individual self-doubt but emerged through ongoing interpretation of academic and relational experiences. Across groups, participants encountered similar challenges; differences were reflected in how those challenges were understood and responded to over time. Validation shaped how participants understood their competence and academic legitimacy, while belonging influenced whether experiences were interpreted as part of learning or as signals of misfit. Identity and prior experiences further shaped how participants interpreted both challenge and affirmation. These findings suggest that impostor experiences are context-dependent, and shaped by the interaction of self-efficacy beliefs, validation, and evolving senses of belonging. The study highlights the importance of relational and program conditions in supporting doctoral student development
DOI: 10.17615/fsbj-4815
Author: Outlaw, Teresa Jo
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7162760935
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