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Writer's pictureShani Waidergoren

Measuring Impostor Syndrome

How can imposter syndrome be measured?

Clance developed a scale that is still used to quantify the impostor phenomenon. Several statements make up the scale, all of which ask about the extent to which the respondent believes they have committed fraud about their successes and accomplishments.

The link here will take you directly to the Calance imposter syndrome scale.


Who was Pauline Rose Clance who created that scale?

Famous for her studies of the "Impostor Phenomenon," American psychologist Pauline Rose Clance (1934–2020) was Clance, who is from Pennsylvania and got her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Georgia and her master's and doctorate degrees from Ohio State University.


Clance started looking into the "imposter phenomenon" in the 1970s when she noticed that many successful women she worked with felt like they were being lied to, even though they had done many great things. This led her to develop a theory and a scale to measure the imposter phenomenon, which is the feeling of being a fake even though you have proof of your skills and success.


In addition to her work on the "impostor phenomenon," Clance made important contributions to counselling and psychotherapy, especially in family therapy and treating anxiety disorders. She taught at Georgia State University for over 30 years. During that time, she garnered a great deal of respect as a mentor and an advocate for women working in academic fields.


Pauline Rose Clance passed away in 2020 at the age of 86, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the field of psychology and beyond.




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