Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students

This exploratory study examined the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between the imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students and further investigated age as a moderator. A sample of 150 students (66 males, 84 females; mean age = 24.11) completed assessments using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Academic Performance Scale. Correlation analysis indicated a significant inverse association of the imposter phenomenon with self-esteem and academic performance. Mediation analysis suggested that self-esteem completely mediated the relationship between the imposter phenomenon and academic performance. Moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that the strength of this indirect effect was non-significant among younger students but intensified with age. These findings highlight self-esteem as a key mechanism linking imposter feelings to academic performance and underscore the need to consider age differences in intervention strategies. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is recommended to further validate these findings.