The 5 Types of Imposter Syndrome

The term impostor phenomenon was coined in 1978 by researchers Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in their studies of women who felt like imposters in the workplace. Dr Valerie Young then expanded on this research in the 1980s by identifying five different types of imposter syndrome in women as part of her doctoral research.

While these bodies of research focused on successful women in work environments, recent research has expanded to include a much broader picture of imposter syndrome, which can affect anyone. However, these five types of imposter syndrome remain relevant in helping us recognise this tendency to feel like a “fraud” in ourselves and in others. 

In this post, we’ll talk more about these five recognised impostor syndrome profiles and how to identify them. We’ll then cover some nuances between types, discuss why addressing imposter syndrome is crucial, and share some ways to learn more.

Why understanding the different types of imposter syndrome matters

Imposter syndrome is a common psychological phenomenon, but it might not always be so easy to identify in ourselves and people close to us. Therefore, learning more about the different types can help us build self-awareness, recognise our behavioural patterns, and understand our emotional triggers.

When we are better able to identify imposter syndrome, we can start to improve our confidence by recognising the thoughts and feelings contributing to our behaviour. In the next section of the article, we’ll explain each of the five different types of imposter syndrome, which are: the perfectionist, the expert, the natural genius, the soloist and the superhuman.

1. The Perfectionist

The perfectionist is focused on maintaining high standards and an ideal of “perfection”, and feels like an impostor when they fall short of these.

Common signs of the perfectionist

Common signs of the perfectionist include feeling frustrated when things don’t turn out “perfectly”, even though the standard for “perfect” might be unrealistic.

How perfectionism affects confidence

Perfectionism affects confidence because no matter how much effort a perfectionist puts into achieving a task, it is never enough. This constant feeling of disappointment can erode a person’s confidence and reinforce the belief that they can never do anything “right”.

2. The expert

The expert feels that their level of knowledge directly relates to their level of competence. Ironically, this means that while they may be in constant pursuit of knowledge, they never feel like they will know enough.

Signs you may be the expert

Common signs that you may be the expert include feeling like you don’t know enough to begin a task, which means that you may ultimately struggle to execute, which can contribute to further feelings of “failure”.

Why knowledge feels tied to self-worth

The expert feels that their level of knowledge relates to their sense of competency, which ultimately links to their sense of self-worth. As it is never truly possible to know everything, the expert consistently feels like an impostor, or “not knowledgeable enough”.

3. The natural genius

The natural genius believes that their level of competence equals the ease and speed with which they can learn how to do things. However, they begin to doubt their competency when tasks become challenging and require effort to complete.

Why effort feels like failure

The natural genius feels like effort is a failure because they feel that if they don’t get it right the first time, they aren’t smart enough. They feel like having to try hard is proof that they aren’t smart enough in the first place.

The pressure to succeed instantly

The natural genius puts so much pressure on themselves to succeed at every task that they don’t easily give themselves a chance to try something new, for fear of failure. They might also back out of tasks when faced with difficulties.

4. The soloist

The soloist believes that their level of competence equals their ability to do everything on their own without asking for help.

Why asking for help feels difficult

For the soloist, asking for help feels difficult because, in their eyes, it would mean admitting they are incompetent.

The link between independence and validation

For the soloist, being totally independent is a validation of their competence, which means they may take on substantial workloads and levels of responsibility without actually being required to.

5. The superhuman

The superhuman judges their competence by how many roles they can successfully perform. These roles can include everything from being a parent, friend, or successful business owner to being an employee or a spouse, for example.

Productivity and self-worth

The superhuman links their productivity to their self-worth, which means they are constantly busy to avoid feeling they are underperforming in any area of their lives.

Why rest feels uncomfortable

Rest feels uncomfortable for the superhuman, as with so many roles to juggle and perform, there’s no room for downtime.

Can you experience more than one type?

Yes, while the above provides insight into the psychology of imposter syndrome, it’s possible to experience more than one type. For example, a perfectionist may be concerned with doing things perfectly, but may also worry about knowing enough, and therefore could take on aspects of the expert.

The soloist may also overlap with the expert in their quest for knowledge and learning how to do everything on their own without asking for help. The superhuman may also be a perfectionist, in trying to do everything perfectly, regardless of what role they are playing. 

As we can see, changes in behavioural patterns can create overlap and nuance among the different imposter syndrome personality traits. Over time, and depending on circumstances and life stages, we may also resonate more with one type than another.

What happens if imposter syndrome is left unchecked?

In this post, we’ve covered the five types of imposter syndrome and how to identify some of the most common signs. However, it’s crucial to point out that addressing imposter syndrome is essential for wellbeing, as leaving it unchecked can be disastrous for our long-term health.

While it may be normal to feel stressed from time to time and feel despondent that we aren’t doing everything to the best of our ability, imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon that can lead to chronic mental health challenges such as anxiety and burnout.

Learn more about managing imposter syndrome

In the above sections, we’ve provided some ways to identify imposter syndrome in ourselves and others. To learn more about what impostor syndrome is and how to manage it, read our blog posts “What is Imposter Syndrome?” and “How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome”. For further information, watch the SACAP webinar “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome”.

For more in-depth learning, SACAP’s qualifications provide a structured framework for studying psychological phenomena such as imposter syndrome. SACAP Global’s self-development learning pathways also offer short courses and micro-credentials that can help to manage anxiety and mental health, including Managing and Preventing Anxiety and Enhancing Mental Health.