Examining associations between impostor phenomenon, emotional cost and science drop-out intentions in STEM doctoral students and postdocs

Doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) face a multitude of hurdles in their educational journey, with many leaving research career pathways despite extensive preparation. One threat to trainees is the impostor phenomenon (IP), defined as feelings of fraudulence among high-achieving individuals. The purpose of this study is to examine whether IP predicts intentions to stay in science careers and to explore a theoretically consistent mediator (emotional cost) and moderator (growth mindset) of that association. A total of 250 STEM research trainees (176 doctoral students and 74 postdoctoral fellows) completed the baseline survey online as part of a larger intervention study. Correlational, mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted. Trainees’ IP experiences predicted greater intentions to drop out of a science career, and the perceived emotional cost of a science career was a mediator of this association. Trainees’ growth mindset did not moderate the associations between IP, emotional cost and intention to drop out of science. Limited research has explored mediators or moderators of the association between trainees 2019 IP and their career-related outcomes. The authors discuss implications for doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars at risk for dropping out of science careers.