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 u...

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Main Authors: Rohini Newar, Rajnish Kumar Gupta, Radha Gopal Krishnan, Kirti Shekhawat, Yashasvi Walia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:International Journal of Adolescence and Youth
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2025.2496449
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author Rohini Newar
Rajnish Kumar Gupta
Radha Gopal Krishnan
Kirti Shekhawat
Yashasvi Walia
author_facet Rohini Newar
Rajnish Kumar Gupta
Radha Gopal Krishnan
Kirti Shekhawat
Yashasvi Walia
author_sort Rohini Newar
collection DOAJ
description 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.
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series International Journal of Adolescence and Youth
spelling doaj-art-6a4d4b154795411d91da6b1ebdf668382025-08-20T02:27:57ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Adolescence and Youth0267-38432164-45272025-12-0130110.1080/02673843.2025.2496449Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college studentsRohini Newar0Rajnish Kumar Gupta1Radha Gopal Krishnan2Kirti Shekhawat3Yashasvi Walia4Department of Psychology, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, IndiaDepartment of Psychology, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, IndiaDepartment of Psychology, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, IndiaDepartment of Psychology, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, IndiaDepartment of Psychology, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, IndiaThis 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.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2025.2496449Imposter phenomenonacademic performanceself-esteemmediationmoderated mediationage
spellingShingle Rohini Newar
Rajnish Kumar Gupta
Radha Gopal Krishnan
Kirti Shekhawat
Yashasvi Walia
Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students
International Journal of Adolescence and Youth
Imposter phenomenon
academic performance
self-esteem
mediation
moderated mediation
age
title Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students
title_full Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students
title_fullStr Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students
title_full_unstemmed Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students
title_short Self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students
title_sort self esteem as a mediator of the relationship between imposter phenomenon and academic performance among college students
topic Imposter phenomenon
academic performance
self-esteem
mediation
moderated mediation
age
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2025.2496449
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