Exploring the Relationship between Impostor Syndrome and Societal Norms among Working Women in India

Abstract

Indian working women are divided between working and gender expectations and between socio-cultural family concerns. It is against this background that the Impostor Syndrome develops in many of us whereby we constantly worry about ourselves and fear being found out as incompetent even when we perform well. The current study was a review of the relationship between the social norms and the Impostor Syndrome among working women in India. A sample of 280 women (25 years 40 years) was sampled using random sampling and standardized scales were used. Pearson correlation indicated that the association between the norms in society and the Impostor Syndrome was significant moderate positive correlation (r = 0.52, p < 0.01). The findings have revealed that the more conservative standards are internalized the greater the self-doubt and the sense of inadequacy. The study acknowledges the relevance of socio-cultural expectations as psychological determinants of the psychological wellbeing of women and their professional identity and the need to implement gender-sensitive interventions and working conditions.