Impostor Phenomenon in Software Engineers

The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is the feeling of inaccurately perceiving oneself and frequently facing a significant fear of being exposed as a fraud, with impacts that can lead to mental disorders such as depression and burnout. This dissertation describes research that investigates the extent of impostor feelings among software engineers, considering aspects such as gender, race/ethnicity, and professional roles. Additionally, we explore the influence of IP on perceived productivity. Our results indicate that 52.7% of software engineers experience frequent to intense levels of IP, which has a statistically significant negative effect on perceived productivity.