Beyond the Courtroom Confidence: Investigating the Relationship Between Imposter Phenomenon and Grit in Legal Professionals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55544/sjmars.4.4.5Keywords:
Imposter Phenomenon, Grit, Resilience, Perseverance, Self-DoubtAbstract
This study examined the relationship between Imposter Phenomenon and Grit among legal professionals, focusing on gender differences in these psychological constructs. A sample of 50 legal professionals aged 25-40 years, practicing in Punjab and Haryana High Court, participated in the study. Using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale and Short Grit Scale, data was analysed through t-tests and correlational analysis. Results revealed a significant negative correlation between Imposter Phenomenon and Grit. Gender differences were observed, with male legal professionals showing higher levels of Imposter Phenomenon (self-doubt), while female legal professionals demonstrated higher levels of both Grit and work-related stress. The findings contribute to understanding psychological resilience in the legal profession and highlight the complex interplay between self-doubt and perseverance in high-stakes professional environments.
References
[1] Baum, H. D. (2016). Inward Bound: An exploration of character development in law school. UALR L. Rev., 39, 25.
[2] Bennett, M. W. (2014). Eight traits of great trial legal professionals: A federal judge's view on how to shed the moniker I am a litigator. Rev. Litig., 33, 1.
[3] Blomquist, R. F. (2005). Ten vital virtues for American public legal professionals. Ind. L. Rev., 39, 493.
[4] Cokley, K., Krueger, N., Garba, R., Bailey, M., Harris, K., Hall, S., ... & Archer, J. (2022). Lawyering while Black: Perceived stress as a mediator of impostor feelings, race-related stress and mental health among Black attorneys. Journal of Black Psychology, 48(2), 206-232.
[5] Datu, J. A. D., Valdez, J. P. M., & King, R. B. (2016). Perseverance counts but consistency does not! Validating the short grit scale in a collectivist setting. Current Psychology, 35(1), 121-130.
[6] Grenardo, D. A. (2022). The phantom menace to professional identity formation and law success: Impostor syndrome. U. Dayton L. Rev., 47, 369.
[7] Heinrich, D. R. M. (2019). Cultivating grit in law students: Grit, deliberate practice, and the first-year law school curriculum. Cap. UL Rev., 47, 341.
[8] Jones, S. A. (2023). Influence of grit and grace in female leaders experiencing impostor phenomenon (Doctoral dissertation, University of Charleston-Beckley).
[9] Knudson, M. (2015). Building attorney resources: Helping new legal professionals succeed through psychological capital (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pennsylvania).
[10] Macias-Moriarity, L. Z., Sinclair, S. M., Walker, D., & Purnell, M. (2023). Impostor phenomenon and grit as predictors of job satisfaction in female pharmacy faculty. Pharmaceutical Research, 40(10), 2271-2280.
[11] Seligman, M. E., Verkuil, P. R., & Kang, T. H. (2001). Why legal professionals are unhappy. Cardozo L. Rev., 23, 33.
[12] Snyder, P. (2014). Super women legal professionals: A study of character strengths. Ariz. Summit L. Rev., 8, 261.
[13] Whitfield, K. M., & Wilby, K. J. (2021). Developing grit, motivation, and resilience: To give up on giving in. Pharmacy, 9(2), 109.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Stallion Journal for Multidisciplinary Associated Research Studies
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
10.55544/sjmars
editor@sjmars.com | 
+91-8874396939
