The Relationship between Impostor Phenomenon and Public Speaking Anxiety among University Students in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Wong, Hou Yin (2026) The Relationship between Impostor Phenomenon and Public Speaking Anxiety among University Students in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Impostor Phenomenon and Public Speaking Anxiety. (Unpublished)

Text WONG HOU YIN_Full Text.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (3MB)

Abstract

Public speaking anxiety (PSA) is a prevalent concern among Malaysian university students. However, limited research has examined how the Impostor Phenomenon (IP) contributes to this anxiety in Malaysian academic performance settings. This gap highlights the need to understand whether students who doubt their abilities are more likely to experience anxiety in evaluative speaking situations. The present study examined the relationship between IP and PSA, determined whether IP predicts PSA, and explored gender differences in impostorism among university students residing in the Klang Valley. A total of 110 students were recruited using non-probability sampling and completed the Leary Impostorism Scale and the Public Speaking Anxiety Scale. Correlational analysis showed a significant positive relationship between IP and PSA, and regression analysis indicated that IP significantly predicted PSA levels. An independent samples t-test indicated no significant gender differences in IP. Overall, the study contributes to the understanding of the IP within the Malaysian context and highlights the need for educational initiatives to strengthen students’ competence beliefs and reduce performance-related anxiety.