Correlates of Impostor Phenomenon Among Indonesian Sports Science Students

NCT07725302 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: DURMAN-IMPOSTOR25PPDS-PSY-UNHAS-2025
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 438
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This cross-sectional study evaluated the psychiatric correlates of the impostor phenomenon among Indonesian sports science undergraduates, focusing specifically on the relative contributions of self-esteem and anxiety alongside related psychological, behavioral, and structural factors. A total of 438 junior-year undergraduates at a public university in Makassar, Indonesia, completed a cross-sectional survey. Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and impostor phenomenon severity was evaluated using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS). Behavioral factors (nightly sleep duration and daily social media use) and structural factors (sex, grade point average \[GPA\], scholarship status, residential arrangement, and organizational participation) were also captured and analyzed using Spearman correlations, group comparisons, and simultaneous as well as hierarchical multiple linear regressions. NOTE: This study was retrospectively registered. The study was conducted from June 2025 to August 2025 following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines and received ethical clearance (PROTOKOL-UH25010017) from the Institutional Biomedical Research Ethics Committee of Hasanuddin University prior to study initiation. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. No outcome measures, study design, or statistical analysis plan were modified following data collection.

Conditions

Self Esteem; Anxiety; Impostor Phenomenon

Keywords

imposter syndrome; Anxiety; Students; Sleep; Cross-Sectional Studies; Indonesia; Universities

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Association Between Self-Esteem and Impostor Phenomenon

  Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient (rho) evaluating the relationship between total global self-esteem scores assessed via the 10-item RSES (score range: 10-40, where higher scores indicate higher self-esteem) and total impostor phenomenon severity scores measured using the 20-item CIPS (score range: 20-100, where higher scores denote greater impostorism severity) among sports science undergraduates. A negative correlation indicates higher self-esteem is associated with lower impostor phenomenon severity.

  Single time point baseline assessment (June to August 2025)

• Association Between Anxiety Symptoms and Impostor Phenomenon

  Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient (rho) evaluating the relationship between total anxiety symptom scores assessed via GAD-7 (score range: 0-21, where higher scores reflect higher anxiety severity) and total impostor phenomenon severity scores (CIPS; score range: 20-100). A positive correlation indicates higher anxiety symptomatology is associated with greater impostor phenomenon severity.

  Single time point baseline assessment (June to August 2025)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Psychiatric and Psychological Predictors of Impostor Phenomenon

  Single time point baseline assessment (June to August 2025)

• Demographic and Structural Differences in Impostor Phenomenon Scores

  Single time point baseline assessment (June to August 2025)

Study Arms (1)

Indonesian Sports Science Undergraduates

Junior-year sports science undergraduates (semesters 3-4) at a public university in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, recruited from June to August 2025 (n = 438 analyzed out of 469 invited; response rate 93.4%). Participants completed a single-session, self-administered survey battery assessing psychological constructs-the CIPS, RSES, and GAD-7-alongside continuous behavioral measures (nightly sleep duration and daily social media usage) and self-reported demographic/structural covariates (GPA, sex, age, scholarship recipiency, residential status, and organizational participation). No intervention was administered. This cross-sectional study evaluated the psychiatric correlates of the impostor phenomenon among Indonesian sports science undergraduates, focusing specifically on the relative contributions of self-esteem and anxiety alongside related psychological, behavioral, and structural factors.

Other: Self-Report Questionnaire Assessment

Interventions

Self-Report Questionnaire Assessment OTHER

Participants completed a structured battery of validated self-report questionnaires on a single occasion in supervised classroom sessions. The Indonesian-adapted CIPS was used to evaluate cognitive and affective features of impostorism; the RSES was used to measure global self-esteem; and the GAD-7 was used to assess anxiety symptom severity over the preceding two weeks. Additional self-reported survey items captured behavioral characteristics (nightly sleep duration and daily social media usage) alongside demographic and structural information (sex, age, cumulative GPA, scholarship status, residential arrangement, and organizational participation). No therapeutic, pharmacological, behavioral, or educational intervention was administered. Data collection was strictly observational and cross-sectional in nature, with no manipulation of variables, experimental co

Also known as: Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS; 20 items); Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; 10 items); Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7; 7 items)

Indonesian Sports Science Undergraduates

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Sports science undergraduate students enrolled in semesters three or four at a public university in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

You may qualify if:

• Active undergraduate students enrolled in semesters 3 or 4 within the sports science program at a public university in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
• Adequate proficiency in Bahasa Indonesia
• Provision of written informed consent to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Documented history of active or treated psychiatric disorders
• Documented history of substance use disorders
• Incomplete survey responses or refusal to provide consent

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hasanuddin University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan KM. 10, Tamalanrea Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Makassar, South Sulawesi, 90245, Indonesia

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

imposter syndrome; Anxiety Disorders

Interventions

Patient Health Questionnaire

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Surveys and Questionnaires; Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Psychological Tests; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health

Study Officials

• Agus Durman, MD

  Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Indrawaty Suhuyanli, MD

  Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator (PI)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 21, 2026
• First Posted: July 24, 2026
• Study Start: June 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2025
• Study Completion: August 31, 2025
• Last Updated: July 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ID (1)