PhD Scientific Days 2026

Mental Health Sciences 3.

Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS): Hungarian adaptation and validation

Name of the presenter

Csepregi, Noémi

Institute/workplace of the presenter

Mental Health Sciences Division

Authors

Dr. Csepregi Noémi¹, Dr. Bóné Veronika¹
1: Mental Health Sciences Division

Text of the abstract

Introduction
Impostor syndrome (IS) is a psychological phenomenon where objectively successful individuals—regardless of their achievements—doubt their success and attribute it to luck rather than to their abilities and efforts. Although it is not a distinct diagnostic category, it might be associated with serious mental health disorders, making early recognition important. It is particularly common among highly educated individuals in high-responsibility jobs.

Aims
Several instruments are available to assess IS. In Hungarian, only the short version of the Impostor Phenomenon Profile (IPP15-HU) is currently available. The Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS; Clance, 1985) is the most widely used one–dimensional, 20–item measure internationally. As our broader research focuses on physicians, we aimed to adapt a Hungarian version that allows comparison with international findings.

Methods
Data collection began in February 2026. In addition to gathering demographic data we administered the CIPS, alongside the IPP15-HU, State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) to assess convergent validity. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling through Google Forms. Analyses were conducted using SPSS and JASP.

Results
The sample consisted entirely of female participants (N = 246), aged 20–72 years (M = 46.16, SD=10.26). The CIPS showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.934). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a one-factor model with adequate fit, consistent with previous findings. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to examine the relationships between the constructs. CIPS scores significantly correlated positively with IPP15-HU (rs =0.685) and STAI-T (rs = 0.518), and negatively with RSES (rs =-0.652). Significant but weaker associations were found with self-oriented (rs =0.289) and socially prescribed perfectionism (rs =0.498), while no association emerged with other-oriented perfectionism.

Conclusion
The CIPS demonstrated appropriate psychometric properties, and our findings are consistent with international results. The scale proved to be a reliable and valid instrument in a Hungarian sample, supporting its use in future research.

Funding
The study was not funded.