Correlates of Imposter Syndrome 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 was conducted from June to August 2025 among sports science undergraduates at State University of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. Ethical clearance was granted by the Institutional Biomedical Research Ethics Committee of Hasanuddin University (PROTOKOL-UH25010017), procedures followed the 2013 Declaration of Helsinki, and written informed consent was obtained from every participant. NOTE: This study was retrospectively registered. The study was conducted from June 2025 to August 2025 following the STROBE guidelines and received ethical clearance 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; Imposter Syndrome

Keywords

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

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Association Between Self-Esteem and Imposter Syndrome

  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 Imposter Syndrome 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 Imposter Syndrome severity.

  Single time point baseline assessment (June to August 2025)

• Association Between Anxiety Symptoms and Imposter Syndrome

  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 imposter syndrome severity scores (CIPS; score range: 20-100). A positive correlation indicates higher anxiety symptomatology is associated with greater imposter syndrome severity.

  Single time point baseline assessment (June to August 2025)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Psychological Correlates of Imposter Syndrome

  Single time point baseline assessment (June to August 2025)

• Demographic and Structural Differences in Imposter Syndrome Scores

  Single time point baseline assessment (June to August 2025)

Study Arms (1)

Indonesian Sports Science Undergraduates

Sports science undergraduates (semesters 3-4) at a public state 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/institutional covariates (GPA, sex, age, scholarship recipiency, residential status, and organizational participation). No intervention was administered. This cross-sectional study evaluated the psychological correlates of the imposter syndrome among Indonesian sports science undergraduates, focusing specifically on the relative contributions of self-esteem and anxiety alongside related psychological, behavioral, and institutional factors.

Other: Self-Report Questionnaire Assessment

Interventions

Self-Report Questionnaire Assessment OTHER

Participants completed a structured battery of validated self-report questionnaires via a mixed paper-based (completed in class or within 48 hours) and online administration, not a single supervised classroom sitting as planned. The CIPS evaluated cognitive and affective features of impostorism; the RSES measured global self-esteem; and the Indonesian-adapted GAD-7 assessed anxiety symptom severity over the preceding two weeks. Additional self-reported 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 observational and cross-sectional in nature, with no manipulation of variables, experimental conditions, or intervention assignment.

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 State University of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Eligible participants were active undergraduate students enrolled in semesters 3 or 4 of the sports science program at State University of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, with adequate Bahasa Indonesia proficiency, willingness to be contacted, and provision of written informed consent; students were excluded for ineligible semester, insufficient Bahasa Indonesia proficiency, unwillingness to be contacted, incomplete survey responses, refusal of consent, treated psychiatric disorder, or documented history of substance use disorder.

Contact the study team to discuss eligibility requirements. They can help determine if this study is right for you.

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

Anxiety Disorders; imposter syndrome

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: September 11, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ID (1)