Professional Use

For Researchers & Clinicians

Guidance on citing, attributing, and ethically using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale in research, clinical, and educational settings.

Scale Resources

Original Instrument

Download the CIPS (PDF)

The original 20-item validated instrument formatted for print or paper-based administration. Includes scoring instructions.

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Digital Version

Take the Digital CIPS

Complete the scale online with automated scoring. The researcher and clinician pathway outputs a clear score and interpretation band table formatted for professional use.

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Officially Authorized CIPS Digital Implementation

This platform is the officially authorized digital home for the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale. It was developed in collaboration with Pauline Rose Clance, PhD, ABPP (author of the scale), Suzann Lawry, PhD (designated representative for any questions), and Ria Nagar, M.A.(digital tool creator). The scale items reproduced here are verbatim from the validated 1985 instrument. This site is designed to honor and preserve Dr. Clance’s original work while making it freely and responsibly accessible to a global audience.

Overview

About the Digital CIPS for Professional Use

The Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS) is a 20-item validated psychometric instrument developed by Dr. Pauline Rose Clance (1985) and formally validated by Chrisman et al. (1995). It assesses the degree to which an individual experiences impostor-related thoughts and feelings in achievement contexts.

The CIPS has been used in countless peer-reviewed studies across clinical, academic, organizational, and international contexts. It is the most widely used instrument in the impostor phenomenon literature and is appropriate for use with adults in research and clinical settings.

This digital tool reproduces the scale items verbatim and uses the official four-band scoring interpretation established in the validation literature. All scoring occurs in the participant’s browser — no response data is collected or transmitted.

Citation

How to Cite the CIPS

Proper attribution is essential to honoring the original work and maintaining the integrity of the research literature. The following citations should be used when referencing the CIPS in any research, publication, or professional context.

Original Scale — required in all uses

Clance, P. R. (1985). The impostor phenomenon: When success makes you feel like a fake. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers. Copyright 1985 by Pauline Rose Clance, PhD, ABPP. Reprinted by permission.

Founding paper — recommended for research context

Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The impostor phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006

Scale Validation — required for research use

Chrisman, S. M., Pieper, W. A., Clance, P. R., Holland, C. L., & Glickauf-Hughes, C. (1995). Validation of the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 65(3), 456–467. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa6503_6

This Digital Tool — when data collected via this platform

Nagar, R., Lawry, S., & Clance, P. R. (2026). Digital implementation of the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale [Digital tool]. Retrieved from [site URL].

To explore some of the empirical IP literature, see the scholarly resource library, which includes full citations for key foundational and contemporary works.

Ethical Use

Recommended Use Practices

Researchers, clinicians, and educators using the CIPS are encouraged to follow these practices to ensure ethical, responsible, and accurate use of the instrument.

→Use the appropriate term and spelling. When using the CIPS, researchers are asked to name and spell the construct correctly: "Impostor Phenomenon." When locating a comprehensive list of related research, search terms should include other terms including "Impostor Syndrome," "Imposterism," and "impostor feelings," as well as other spellings, "imposter."
→Use verbatim items. The scale items must be reproduced as written. Paraphrasing or modifying items changes the construct being measured and invalidates comparisons with the existing literature.
→Apply the validated scoring bands. Use the four-band interpretation (≤40, 41–60, 61–80, 81–100) established by Clance (1985) and validated by Chrisman et al. (1995). In-depth clinical interviews during the validation studies suggested a score of 61 and higher is clinically meaningful. Avoid creating custom interpretations without psychometric justification.
→Cite appropriately in all publications. Attribute the original instrument, the validation study, and this digital tool (where applicable) in all manuscripts, reports, presentations, and educational materials.
→Respect participant/client well-being. The Impostor Phenomenon is not a clinical disorder. Scores indicate a distressing, subjective experience that is informed by one’s history, current contexts, workstyle, and a host of other factors. Take appropriate precautions when administering the scale in clinical or high-stakes settings and provide resources for support. Avoid pathologizing language when reporting, presenting, or using results.
Accessibility

Translated Versions

Making the CIPS accessible across languages is a core goal of this platform. Expanding access to validated psychological measures — particularly for non-English speaking populations who have been underrepresented in IP research — is both an ethical priority and a research opportunity.

Translations are in development

Multilingual versions of the scale are being developed with attention to translation methodology and, where possible, psychometric cross-validation. The original English version remains the primary reference version of the scale.

Researchers interested in contributing validated translations or collaborating on cross-cultural IP research are encouraged to reach out using the contact information below.

Disclaimer: All translations are provided to improve accessibility. Translation status (professionally translated, community reviewed, or machine-assisted) will be disclosed clearly within the tool for each available language.

Contact

Questions & Collaboration

For questions about the scale, research collaborations, or guidance on professional use, please contact the project representative. This contact is for professional inquiries and collaboration — not for questions about individual assessment results.

Project Representative

Suzann Lawry, PhD

Georgia State University

Available for questions about professional use, research collaboration, and translation initiatives.

info@suzannlawry.com

Note: Dr. Clance does not respond to individual emails regarding test results. If you have questions about your own score, please refer to the resources provided on the results page or consult a qualified mental health professional.

Ready to use the scale?

Select the researcher / clinician pathway for clear scoring output formatted for professional use.

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Scale copyright: Clance, P. R. (1985). The Impostor Phenomenon: When Success Makes You Feel Like A Fake. Copyright 1985 by Pauline Rose Clance, PhD, ABPP. Reprinted by permission.

Digital tool: Nagar, R., Lawry, S., & Clance, P. R. (2026). Digital implementation of the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale.