Impostor syndrome is a psychological construct, most commonly occurring in individuals who work in highly competitive environments. Individuals who experience impostor syndrome typically believe that, despite their objective successes, they are not competent enough and that their achievements are due to luck or the favour of others. Because of poor self-esteem and other internal and external factors, such individuals are unable to internalise their successes and fear that they will be recognised as imposters by those around them. The purpose of the master's thesis was to investigate the extent to which impostor syndrome is present among music students in Slovenia. We were interested in the role of gender, length of study, and field of study in the expression of impostor syndrome. We also searched for differences in the expression of impostor syndrome between more and less successful music students in terms of internal and external criteria. In a study involving 96 music students, it was found that impostor syndrome is present only to a small degree and that there are large differences in its expression. In some students, it is very pronounced, while in others it is almost non-existent. Impostor syndrome was more common in female than male students. Higher levels of imposter syndrome were more frequently reported by students studying string instruments and other stringed instruments, while the length of study did not play a significant role in its expression. When investigating if there are differences in expression of impostor syndrome from the perspective of internal criteria, it was found that there is a stark connection between experiencing impostor syndrome and low self-esteem and low self-evaluation. From the perspective of external criteria, the results showed that negative perceptions of external criteria of success are significantly associated with higher levels of impostor syndrome expression in music students. The findings of our research can provide an important starting point for further research into impostor syndrome and the general psychological well-being of music students.
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