Impostor phenomenon, coping strategies and academic attainment among university students in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The impostor phenomenon (IP), the internal experience of intellectual phoniness despite objective competence, is poorly understood in Arabic-speaking populations, particularly its interplay with coping and attainment. This study estimated IP prevalence, characterized coping, and modeled cumulative grade point average (GPA) as an ordered outcome. Methods: A single-center cross-sectional survey recruited 406 students in diploma, bachelor's, and master's programs at the University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, by open invitation to the institutional mailing list, January to June 2026, a convenience sample. Respondents completed the Arabic Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) and the Brief COPE. Analysis used rank-based tests, Benjamini-Hochberg correction, and proportional-odds regression. Results: The CIPS total averaged 59.37 (standard deviation [SD] 9.37); 175 (43.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 38.4 to 48.0) met the criterion of 62, a threshold imported from English-language work and uncalibrated in Arabic. Prevalence did not differ by gender, age, level, or year; married students scored higher (P = .015). Religion was most endorsed; coping associations with IP were small, none exceeding .22. Scores declined as attainment rose, from 63.16 in the pass band to 57.49 in the excellent band (z = -3.407, P < .001). Each SD of IP carried lower adjusted odds of a higher GPA band (odds ratio 0.719, 95% CI 0.590 to 0.877); coping did not improve fit. Conclusions: More than two in five respondents met the criterion, and IP was inversely graded across attainment; directing support at high achievers alone would overlook those reporting it most often. Longitudinal work is needed to establish direction.