Role of Imposter Phenomenon and the Virtue of Courage in Flourishing among Younger Adults

Description

Purnima Manektalia and Akhilendra K. Singh (Department of Psychology, DAV PG College, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)

In early adulthood, major developmental tasks make one more prone to stress. Their cognitive distortions adversely affect their health and well-being, whereas their positive personality characteristics help them to achieve better well-being. In the present study, we try to explore how cognitive distortions (the imposter phenomenon) and positive personality characteristics (the virtue of courage) affect the well-being (flourishing) of younger adults. By using three standardized psychometric devices, namely the Imposter Phenomenon Scale, VIA-72 questionnaire, and PERMA-Profiler inventory, this study was carried out on 122 participants aged between 18 and 25 years. We analyzed the obtained data with the help of correlational and regression analyses. Results of the present study illustrated that the imposter phenomenon was significantly negatively associated with flourishing, whereas the virtue of courage was significantly positively associated with flourishing of young adults (18-25 years). The findings are discussed in relation to existing theories and research.