Latent Profiles of Impostor Phenomenon Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale

Latent Profiles of Impostor Phenomenon Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Latent Profiles of Impostor Phenomenon Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale Palwasha This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9672987/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background The Impostor Phenomenon (IP), characterized by persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud despite objective evidence of competence, is increasingly recognized in medical education. However, it remains underexplored using person-centered methodologies, particularly in South Asian settings. Methods A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 219 undergraduate medical students from public and private medical colleges in Pakistan. Participants completed the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) and provided demographic information. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was performed on the 20 CIPS items to identify subgroups based on response patterns. Model fit was assessed using AIC, BIC, entropy, and the Lo-Mendell-Rubin test. Associations between profile membership and demographic variables were examined using chi-square tests and one-way ANOVA. Results LPA identified three classes: Low Impostorism (29.2%), Moderate Impostorism (17.4%), and High Impostorism (53.4%). The 3-class solution demonstrated good fit (entropy = 0.84, LMR p < 0.05). Class membership was significantly associated with year of study (p = 0.008) and age (p = 0.047), with younger and early-year students more likely to belong to the High Impostorism class. No significant association with gender was observed. Conclusion Most medical students in this Pakistani sample reported high-to-very-high impostor experiences. The significant variation by academic stage and age highlights the need for targeted, phase-specific preventive interventions in South Asian medical education settings. Psychiatry Psychology Impostor Phenomenon Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale Latent Profile Analysis Medical Students Pakistan Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9672987","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":637789642,"identity":"e455ee68-ee06-4b91-ad1a-562bad25a0b8","order_by":0,"name":"Palwasha","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0504-9142","institution":"Asghar","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"","middleName":"","lastName":"Palwasha","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-05-10 22:51:24","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":true,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true,"humanSubjectConsent":true,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9672987/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9672987/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":109060095,"identity":"1df127f4-788e-4c3f-ad76-d042beede717","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-12 08:14:56","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":506503,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"MANUSCRIPT.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9672987/v1_covered_6d635e2c-6ce8-4316-b958-205de57749dd.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLatent Profiles of Impostor Phenomenon Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Khyber Medical College","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Impostor Phenomenon, Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, Latent Profile Analysis, Medical Students, Pakistan","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9672987/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9672987/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Impostor Phenomenon (IP), characterized by persistent self-doubt and fear of being exposed as a fraud despite objective evidence of competence, is increasingly recognized in medical education. However, it remains underexplored using person-centered methodologies, particularly in South Asian settings.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 219 undergraduate medical students from public and private medical colleges in Pakistan. Participants completed the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) and provided demographic information. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was performed on the 20 CIPS items to identify subgroups based on response patterns. Model fit was assessed using AIC, BIC, entropy, and the Lo-Mendell-Rubin test. Associations between profile membership and demographic variables were examined using chi-square tests and one-way ANOVA.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eLPA identified three classes: Low Impostorism (29.2%), Moderate Impostorism (17.4%), and High Impostorism (53.4%). The 3-class solution demonstrated good fit (entropy\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.84, LMR p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Class membership was significantly associated with year of study (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.008) and age (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.047), with younger and early-year students more likely to belong to the High Impostorism class. No significant association with gender was observed.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eMost medical students in this Pakistani sample reported high-to-very-high impostor experiences. The significant variation by academic stage and age highlights the need for targeted, phase-specific preventive interventions in South Asian medical education settings.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Latent Profiles of Impostor Phenomenon Among Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-05-12 08:14:26","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9672987/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"33eb3c0d-ac46-472a-bb8f-4c0acb1a9963","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 12th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":67879223,"name":"Psychiatry"},{"id":67879224,"name":"Psychology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-12T08:14:26+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-05-12 08:14:26","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9672987","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9672987","identity":"rs-9672987","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}