The imposter phenomenon is defined as feelings of inadequacy and fraudulence by successful people (Clance & Imes, 1978). Previous research on the imposter phenomenon has focused on achievement, such as academic performance (King & Cooley, 1995). However, little research has examined imposter feelings in interpersonal situations. The purpose of this study was to investigate social imposterism by creating a measure of this construct. Forty items were written to reflect theoretical dimensions of social imposterism. Based on psychometric analyses, the 25 best performing items were selected for the final scale. The Social Imposterism Scale correlated with achievement imposterism, loneliness, self-esteem, and fear of appearing incompetent. The development of this scale allows researchers to further examine feelings of phoniness in social situations.

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