Research-Based Strategies for Combating Impostor Phenomenon

Have you ever succeeded at an academic task even though you were convinced that you wouldn’t do well? Do you dread others evaluating your work or avoid opportunities for critical feedback? Do you have trouble accepting praise or acknowledging your accomplishments? Do you worry about being exposed as an academic fraud? Have you ever questioned whether you belong at Michigan? Thoughts such as these are hallmarks of impostor thinking and are more common among graduate students than you realize. However, they don’t have to overshadow your academic and professional journey.

Join us for this interactive, two-hour workshop workshop, during which we will share insights from impostorism scholarship and provide research-based strategies for combatting your impostor thoughts and feelings.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Define impostorism and highlight the variety of ways individuals and groups are most impacted.
• Discuss individual, system, and institution level factors that contribute to impostorism.
• Recognize maladaptive thought patterns and coping strategies that exacerbate impostor experiences.
• Access tools and strategies to help interrupt your impostor cycle (all participants will receive a digital strategies workbook).

Registration is required at https://myumi.ch/gRAXn.

This workshop is designed for U-M master’s students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral scholars on all three campuses; therefore, only U-M graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are permitted to register for this workshop. While this workshop is being facilitated on behalf of Rackham’s DEI Certificate Program (DEICP), it is open to all U-M graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. For faculty and staff, please contact [email protected] to ask if we can accommodate your attendance.

We want to ensure full and equitable participation in our events. If an accommodation would promote your full participation in this event, please follow the registration link to indicate your accommodation requirements. Please let us know as soon as possible in order to have adequate time, preferably one week, to arrange for your requested accommodations or an effective alternative.