Effect Of Imposter Syndrome On Dysfunctional Metacognitive beliefs: Mediating Role Of Rumination

Abstract

Imposter syndrome involves persistent self-doubt, fear of being exposed as a fraud, and attributing one’s achievements to luck rather than ability. It is a common source of psychological distress among university students, yet the cognitive processes that connect it to broader mental functioning remain poorly understood. This study examined rumination as a mediating variable in the relationship between imposter syndrome and dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs , drawing on Wells and Matthews’ S-REF model. It was hypothesized that imposter syndrome would positively predict dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs with rumination partially mediating this relationship. Data were collected from 151 university students (ages 18 to 25) using snowball sampling and an online questionnaire. Three validated measures were used: the Leary Imposter Scale, the Ruminative Response Scale, and the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30. Imposter syndrome was significantly associated with both rumination (r = 0.55, p < 0.001) and dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs (r = 0.66, p < 0.001), accounting for 43.4% of the variance in dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs .Rumination partially mediated the relationship, with both direct and indirect effects remaining significant. These findings point to rumination as a key cognitive pathway linking imposter syndrome to dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs,and suggest that interventions such as Metacognitive Therapy may be helpful in university counseling settings. Limitations include a cross-sectional design and self-report measures.