The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) is marked by an individual's persistent perception of incompetency despite contrary evidence. The presence of IP has been found to negatively affect many college students, but literature on IP among African American college students, specifically, is limited. Previous literature has emphasized a positive association between racial identity and self-esteem for African Americans, and an inverse association between selfesteem and IP among non-African American samples. However, few studies have examined these variables in African American undergraduate samples. Objectives: The current study examined the relationships between racial identity, self-esteem, and IP among African American undergraduate students. It was hypothesized that self-esteem would mediate the relationship between racial identity and IP. Method: The participants were 112 (74% female) self-identified African American undergraduate students who completed an online survey. Results: Mediation testing via bootstrapping revealed support for the hypothesis-self-esteem mediated the relationship between racial identity and IP. Conclusion: University initiatives should focus on creating inclusive environments that foster racial identity development and self-esteem for African Americans to reduce experiences of IP.

The impostor phenomenon (IP), or feelings of intellectual incompetence, reflects a maladaptive set of cognitions, which pose a significant psychological risk for African American emerging adults. In light of recent evidence suggesting that personal and sociocultural factors may influence the association between IP and psychological adjustment, this study used 2 waves of data to examine the extent to which gender and racial discrimination moderated the association between IP and indices of mental health among 157 African American college students (69% women; mean age = 18.30) attending a predominantly White institution. Analyses revealed that young African American women reporting higher frequencies of racial discrimination and women reporting lower levels of distress resulting from racial discrimination were most vulnerable to negative mental health outcomes, particularly at higher levels of IP. These findings suggest that IP may interact with gender and racial discrimination experiences to influence mental health outcomes. We discuss how these findings can be utilized to inform treatment of African American emerging adults experiencing IP and the importance of considering how gender and discrimination may intersect to exacerbate feelings of intellectual incompetence. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Advancing the education of Blacks is of paramount importance. Black students are underrepresented in graduate degrees in Science Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Much attention has been paid to undergraduate retention but very little to graduate degree preparation, a requirement in many professional fields. Given the popularity of the field of psychology, the most popular undergraduate major, and the underrepresentation of people of color in graduate programs, we present a case study of a universitysponsored graduate bridge program, EMERGE. We highlight essential program components including university buy-in, economic considerations, program leadership, mentorship, cultural engagement, and academic preparedness. The implementation of these elements in to the EMERGE program are discussed as well as its demonstrated effectiveness in increasing application competitiveness and doctoral admissions. The program can serve as a model bridge program for all fields of post-baccalaureate education.

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