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Category: Project

Description: Despite decades of research, major gaps remain in understanding the Impostor Phenom-enon (IP), particularly regarding its social stratification and structural implications. While traditionally viewed through a merely psychological lens, the IP is increasingly recog-nized as being shaped by broader contexts such as structural inequalities and discrimina-tion. This study aims to provide a concise, cross-nationally validated instrument for measuring IP feelings in large-scale surveys. We validate the Impostor Phenomenon Short Scale (IPSS-3), a brief self-report instrument suitable for surveys with limited assessment time. Using data from 424 German- and 477 Hebrew-speaking adolescents and young adults (aged 16–28), the factor structure, internal consistency, and construct validity of the IPSS-3 are examined via its correlations with the external locus of control and self-esteem. These analyses confirm high reliability and consistent validity across both samples. The IPSS-3 enables researchers to explore the intersection of IP-related self-doubt and perceived lack of belonging with opportunities for social participation, workplace belonging, career development, and social mobility. By providing a reliable and efficient measure of the IP, this study promotes interdisciplinary research on the IP and enhances a nuanced under-standing of how subjective self-perceptions intersect with structural opportunities and so-cial stratification.