{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T05:05:40Z","timestamp":1784264740128,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784246400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The impostor phenomenon (IP) is characterized by persistent self-doubt and fears of being exposed as intellectually inadequate despite evidence of competence. Although IP has received increasing international attention, comparatively few studies have simultaneously examined its associations with maladaptive perfectionism, self-efficacy, belonging, and wellbeing within Middle Eastern university contexts. This study examined the associations among IP, maladaptive perfectionism, self-efficacy, happiness, sense of belonging, and perceived academic competition among university students in Saudi Arabia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 505 undergraduate students at Taibah University, Saudi Arabia. Participants completed validated measures assessing IP, self-efficacy, maladaptive perfectionism, happiness, belonging, and perceived academic competition. Inferential statistics and bootstrapped indirect association analyses using Hayes' PROCESS Model 4 were conducted.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>IP demonstrated a moderate positive association with maladaptive perfectionism (r = 0.56, p &amp;lt; 0.01) and weak negative associations with self-efficacy (r = \u22120.19, p &amp;lt; 0.01) and happiness (r = \u22120.20, p &amp;lt; 0.01). Self-efficacy showed moderate positive associations with happiness (r = 0.53, p &amp;lt; 0.01) and sense of belonging (r = 0.40, p &amp;lt; 0.01). Indirect association analyses identified statistically significant patterns of association among maladaptive perfectionism, IP, and self-efficacy. Students from administrative and humanities colleges reported higher IP scores than students from health and scientific colleges.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>IP among Saudi university students was associated with greater maladaptive perfectionism and lower self-efficacy, whereas self-efficacy demonstrated stronger positive associations with happiness and belonging. The findings highlight the importance of cognitive and emotional factors associated with students' psychological experiences in higher education settings. Given the cross-sectional design, all findings should be interpreted cautiously, and longitudinal studies are needed to better understand these relationships over time.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1888808","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T04:23:06Z","timestamp":1784262186000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Impostor phenomenon among Saudi university students: associations with maladaptive perfectionism, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Fahad","family":"Alzahrani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Khadijah A.","family":"Aytah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Unit, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alaa M.","family":"Alhammad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Unit, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Seba M.","family":"Alshehri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Unit, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shoug","family":"Alhinti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pharmaceutical Analysis Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center","place":["Riyadh, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shifaa S.","family":"Alyoubi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Unit, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulrahman M.","family":"Alhammad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Unit, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ibrahim Mohammad","family":"Bassati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Scientific Research Unit, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haifa A.","family":"Fadil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmed","family":"Aldhafiri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Faris S.","family":"Alnezary","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University","place":["Madinah, Saudi Arabia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3172","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare13233172","article-title":"Success and self-doubt: prevalence and predictors of imposter phenomenon in a cohort of medical students from Saudi Arabia","volume":"13","author":"Alammar","year":"2025","journal-title":"Healthcare"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"189","DOI":"10.15537\/smj.2020.2.24841","article-title":"Burnout and imposter syndrome among Saudi young adults: The strings in the puppet show of psychological morbidity","volume":"41","author":"Alrayyes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Saudi Med. J"},{"key":"B3","author":"Bandura","year":"1997","journal-title":"Self-efficacy: The exercise of control: Freeman"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1252","DOI":"10.1007\/s11606-019-05364-1","article-title":"Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: a systematic review","volume":"35","author":"Bravata","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Gen. Intern. Med."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"239","DOI":"10.1080\/13576500444000047","article-title":"three-factor model of social identity","volume":"3","author":"Cameron","year":"2004","journal-title":"Self Identity"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"647","DOI":"10.1177\/1948550619882032","article-title":"LaCosse J, Kroeper KM, Murphy MC. Feeling like an imposter: The effect of perceived classroom competition on the daily psychological experiences of first-generation college students","volume":"11","author":"Canning","year":"2020","journal-title":"Soc. Psychol. Personal. Sci"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.28945\/4513","article-title":"PhD student experiences with the impostor phenomenon in STEM","volume":"15","author":"Chakraverty","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Doctoral Stud"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"62","DOI":"10.1177\/109442810141004","article-title":"of a new general self-efficacy scale","volume":"4","author":"Chen","year":"2001","journal-title":"Organ. Res. Methods"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e097858","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2024-097858","article-title":"Impostor syndrome, associated factors and impact on wellbeing across medical undergraduates and postgraduate medical professionals: a scoping review","volume":"15","author":"Chua","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMJ open"},{"key":"B10","volume-title":"The Impostor Phenomenon: Overcoming the Fear that Haunts your Success","author":"Clance","year":"1985"},{"key":"B11","volume-title":"The Impostor Phenomenon: When Success Makes You Feel Like a Fake.","author":"Clance","year":"1986"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"241","DOI":"10.1037\/h0086006","article-title":"The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: dynamics and therapeutic intervention","volume":"15","author":"Clance","year":"1978","journal-title":"Psychother. Theor. Res. Pract."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1300\/J015V06N03_05","author":"Clance","year":"2014","journal-title":"The Imposter Phenomenon: an Internal Barrier to Empowerment and Achievement. Treating Women's Fear of Failure"},{"key":"B14","unstructured":"University and Student Statistics\n          \n          2025"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1521\/jscp.1990.9.4.401","article-title":"Exploring the validity of the impostor phenomenon","volume":"9","author":"Cozzarelli","year":"1990","journal-title":"J. Soc. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104102","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jrp.2021.104102","article-title":"On the longitudinal interplay between perfectionism and general affect in adolescents","volume":"93","author":"Damian","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Res. Pers"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0303445","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0303445","article-title":"Prevalence and correlates of imposter syndrome and self-esteem among medical students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study","volume":"19","author":"El-Setouhy","year":"2024","journal-title":"PloS ONE"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1177\/0734282919878553","article-title":"The big three perfectionism scale\u2013short form (BTPS-SF): development of a brief self-report measure of multidimensional perfectionism","volume":"38","author":"Feher","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Psychoeduc. Assess"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"203","DOI":"10.3200\/JEXE.75.3.203-220","article-title":"Sense of belonging in college freshmen at the classroom and campus levels","volume":"75","author":"Freeman","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Exp. Educ"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1270","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2007.11.023","article-title":"The psychometric properties of the Clance Impostor Scale","volume":"44","author":"French","year":"2008","journal-title":"Pers. Individ. Dif"},{"key":"B21","author":"Hayes","year":"2017","journal-title":"Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1073","DOI":"10.1016\/S0191-8869(01)00213-6","article-title":"The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire: a compact scale for the measurement of psychological wellbeing","volume":"33","author":"Hills","year":"2002","journal-title":"Pers. Individ. Dif"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.2190\/DRYC-CXQ9-JQ8V-HT4V","article-title":"Investigating \u201csense of belonging\u201d in first-year college students","volume":"4","author":"Hoffman","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. College Stud. Retent. Res. Theor. Pract"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6511","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-020-01131-2","article-title":"A different view to perfectionism: an investigation of the psychometric properties of the big three perfectionism scale in a Turkish community sample","volume":"41","author":"Ka\u00e7ar-Ba\u015faran","year":"2022","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"B25","author":"Kennedy","year":"2024","journal-title":"Impostor Phenomenon and School Belonging of First-Year College Students in an Educational Opportunity Program"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1006\/ceps.1995.1019","article-title":"Achievement orientation and the impostor phenomenon among college students","volume":"20","author":"King","year":"1995","journal-title":"Contemp. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.5539\/ijps.v15n3p46","article-title":"Maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism impact psychological wellbeing through mediator self-efficacy versus resilience","volume":"15","author":"Kruger","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Psychol. Stud"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"711","DOI":"10.1037\/cou0000703","article-title":"Effects of a brief self-compassion intervention for college students with impostor phenomenon","volume":"70","author":"Liu","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Couns. Psychol."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"14070537","DOI":"10.3390\/bs14070537","volume":"14","author":"Liu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Behav. Sci"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2043808719843455","DOI":"10.1177\/2043808719843455","article-title":"Self-concept certainty in adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists","volume":"10","author":"Lo","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Exp. Psychopathol."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"374","DOI":"10.21031\/epod.766266","article-title":"Yildirim Y, Tan S. A meta-analytic reliability generalization study of the Oxford Happiness Scale in Turkish sample","volume":"11","author":"\u00d6zdemir","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Measur. Eval. Educ. Psychol"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5153","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-023-04672-4","article-title":"The imposter phenomenon and its relationship with self-efficacy, perfectionism and happiness in university students","volume":"43","author":"P\u00e1kozdy","year":"2024","journal-title":"Curr. Psychol."},{"key":"B33","article-title":"The imposter phenomenon in higher education: Incidence and impact","author":"Parkman","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. High. Educ. Theory Pract"},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"270","DOI":"10.3200\/JEXE.75.4.270-292","article-title":"Academic and psychological functioning in late adolescence: The importance of school belonging","volume":"75","author":"Pittman","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Exp. Educ"},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.29329\/ijpe.2021.382.14","article-title":"Self-compassion as a mediator between perfectionism and life-satisfaction among university students","volume":"17","author":"Sahin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Progress. Educ"},{"key":"B36","first-page":"75","article-title":"The impostor phenomenon","volume":"6","author":"Sakulku","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Behav. Sci"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1047","DOI":"10.1177\/0013164406288171","article-title":"Measuring general self-efficacy: a comparison of three measures using item response theory","volume":"66","author":"Scherbaum","year":"2006","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol. Meas."},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"879","DOI":"10.1016\/S0272-7358(00)00072-6","article-title":"Perfectionism and psychopathology: a review of research and treatment","volume":"21","author":"Shafran","year":"2001","journal-title":"Clin. Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.3352\/jeehp.2017.14.8","article-title":"Palestinian pharmacists' knowledge of issues related to using psychotropic medications in older people: a cross-sectional study","volume":"14","author":"Shawahna","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Educ. Eval. Health Prof"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"132","DOI":"10.11621\/pir.2023.0310","article-title":"Perfectionism, the impostor phenomenon, self-esteem, and personality traits among Russian college students","volume":"16","author":"Sheveleva","year":"2023","journal-title":"Psychol. Russia State Art"},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"976","DOI":"10.3390\/bs13120976","article-title":"Exploring factors affecting impostor syndrome among undergraduate clinical medical students at Chiang Mai university, Thailand: A cross-sectional study","volume":"13","author":"Shinawatra","year":"2023","journal-title":"Behav. Sci"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.1177\/00131644211003261","article-title":"Sample size requirements for simple and complex mediation models","volume":"82","author":"Sim","year":"2022","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol. Meas."},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2017.09.039","article-title":"Using factor analysis to validate the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale in sample of science, technology, engineering and mathematics doctoral students","volume":"121","author":"Simon","year":"2018","journal-title":"Pers. Individ. Dif."},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9450.2010.00826.x","article-title":"Be yourself, believe in yourself, and be happy: Self-efficacy as a mediator between personality factors and subjective well-being","volume":"52","author":"Strobel","year":"2011","journal-title":"Scand. J. Psychol."},{"key":"B45","author":"Tangney","year":"2003","journal-title":"Shame and Guilt"},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"565","DOI":"10.1007\/s10869-014-9382-5","article-title":"Fear of being exposed: the trait-relatedness of the impostor phenomenon and its relevance in the work context","volume":"30","author":"Vergauwe","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Bus. Psychol"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"432","DOI":"10.1177\/0011000019891992","article-title":"Impostor feelings and psychological distress among Asian Americans: Interpersonal shame and self-compassion","volume":"48","author":"Wei","year":"2020","journal-title":"Couns. Psychol."},{"key":"B48","first-page":"24","article-title":"Feel like a fraud","volume":"11","author":"Weir","year":"2013","journal-title":"Grad. Psych. Magazine"},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.1007\/s11162-004-4139-z","article-title":"Self-efficacy, stress, and academic success in college","volume":"46","author":"Zajacova","year":"2005","journal-title":"Res. High. Educ."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1888808\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T04:23:09Z","timestamp":1784262189000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1888808\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]]},"references-count":49,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1888808"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1888808","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]]},"article-number":"1888808"}}