Associations among impostor phenomenon, self-compassion, shame, and social anxiety in college students

Background: Social anxiety represents a common internalizing emotional issue among college students, while the imposter phenomenon, as a negative self-cognitive pattern, is regarded as a key psychological factor associated with the triggering and sustaining of social anxiety. Although previous research has preliminarily explored the relationship between the two, the associations among these variables through which self-conscious emotions operate within this association remain insufficiently explained. Grounded in the Cognitive-Affective System Theory of Personality, this study systematically examines the relationships between imposter phenomenon, self-compassion, shame, and social anxiety. Methods: Using a stratified random sampling approach, the study conducted an online questionnaire survey across multiple universities, obtaining 1408 valid responses. The study conducted regression analyses using SPSS. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that when self-compassion and shame were entered into the regression models, impostor phenomenon was negatively associated with self-compassion and positively associated with shame and social anxiety. Self-compassion was negatively associated with both shame and social anxiety, while shame was positively associated with social anxiety. Moreover, gender significantly moderates the relationship between impostor phenomenon and both self-compassion and social anxiety. Discussion: By shedding new light on the complex relationship between the imposter phenomenon and social anxiety, these findings may inform student mental health support in college students.