Award: Community Engaged Research Honorable Mention

Project: For Imposters, By Imposters: Community-Engaged Research to Mitigate Imposter Phenomenon Prevalence in Peer Tutors 

CCAS student Jurnee Louder's University Writing centered research impressed judges while presenting her literature review at GW's annual research showcase in spring 2022. 

The research question initially originated in talks with past and current GW writing center consultants. Anecdotally, many individuals reported what they identified as imposter phenomenon (IP) or what the researcher identified as likely symptoms of IP. Therefore, this research and the intervention are done with the intent to mitigate these distressing experiences. All research participants will be able to provide feedback on their experiences with the intervention and detail what other systemic changes are needed within the writing center to better support individuals who experience IP.

While writing center (WC) scholarship has begun to explore writers’ confidence and belief in themselves as writers (Mackiewicz & Thompson),  little, if any, WC research has investigated imposter phenomenon (IP) — the intellectual phonineness individuals often feel when achieving success (Clance & Imes, 1978). Imposters — individuals who are experiencing IP — often feel their success was achieved by mistake or luck, and soon they will be outed as intellectual fakes (Clance & Imes, 1978). This experience may lead to heightened incidences of anxiety and low self-esteem (Cokely et al., 2013). Previous literature suggests that individuals experience IP in both academic and professional settings, which may hold strong implications for peer tutors who occupy both realms (Clance & Imes, 1978; Parkman, 2016).

Throughout Spring 2022, I am conducting an IRB-governed study on IP among WC tutors at the George Washington University Writing Center. My research will quantitatively identify how many participating tutors experience symptoms of IP by using validated IP scales. Furthermore, I will develop an intervention — a workshop that provides peer tutors with tools to address their IP experience. 

I hope to find that IP prevalence will be mitigated by a targeted intervention, leading to more confident peer tutors. At the research showcase, I would present my literature review, an overview of the intervention workshop, and initial findings, so that a) peer tutors can identify what might work for them, b) WC researchers can expand upon the IP literature and c), administrators can identify systemic changes to make in WCs to mitigate IP prevalence across peer tutor populations.