Impostor phenomenon measurement scales: A systematic review
Mak, Kleitman and Abbott systematically reviewed trait-level self-report scales for the imposter phenomenon, searching six databases and reference lists and including 18 studies. They identified four scales, the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, the Harvey Impostor Scale, the Perceived Fraudulence Scale and the Leary Impostor Scale. The studies did not necessarily show poor psychometric properties, with lower quality ratings mostly reflecting missing data and strict criteria. The authors called for conceptual clarification of the dimensions of the construct and for better quality and reporting.
Mak, Kleitman and Abbott systematically reviewed trait-level self-report scales for the imposter phenomenon, searching six databases and reference lists and including 18 studies. They identified four scales, the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, the Harvey Impostor Scale, the Perceived Fraudulence Scale and the Leary Impostor Scale. The studies did not necessarily show poor psychometric properties, with lower quality ratings mostly reflecting missing data and strict criteria. The authors called for conceptual clarification of the dimensions of the construct and for better quality and reporting.
Written from the abstract, Frontiers in Psychology, 2026-11-03.
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Mak, K. K. L., Kleitman, S., & Abbott, M. J. (2019). Impostor phenomenon measurement scales: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 671. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00671 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00671