Journal of Black Psychology, Ahead of Print.
The present research expands on impostor phenomenon (IP) literature by highlighting the role of susceptibility to group stereotype endorsement and IP on the mental health experiences of Black college women attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Specifically, the following study seeks to determine if there is an indirect effect between susceptibility to group stereotype endorsement and depression and anxiety via IP for these students. A sample of 414 Black college women attending PWIs completed an online survey including a demographic questionnaire, the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance, 1985), a modified version of Shapiro’s Multi-Threat Framework Scale (Shapiro, 2011), and the Mental Health Inventory-18 (Veit & Ware, 1983; Weinstein et al., 1989). The findings of the data analyses indicated that there is an indirect effect on susceptibility to group stereotype endorsement and depression and anxiety via IP. These findings highlight the need to examine contextual factors on IP and mental health outcomes for Black women students. The discussion section offers recommendations for preventing and responding to IP with this population.