Pluralistic Ignorance, Imposter Syndrome, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services Among Princeton University Varsity Student-Athletes

Abstract

Mental health continues to be a rising issue, especially among participants of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The current study replicates Kerry M. Karaffa and Julie M. Koch’s study titled, “Stigma, Pluralistic Ignorance, and Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services Among Police Officers.” Our study surveyed 136 Princeton varsity student-athletes to determine levels of pluralistic ignorance, the imposter syndrome, and attitudes toward seeking mental health services. We hypothesized that self-stigma and public stigma will negatively correlate with attitudes toward seeking mental health services, participants will underestimate their peers’ willingness to seek mental health services, females will be more willing to seek mental health services, and imposter syndrome will be moderately present among participants. Results confirmed a negative correlation between self-stigma/public stigma and attitudes toward seeking mental health services, but there were no significant gender differences for any of the measures, other than marginal significance of pluralistic ignorance measures. Imposter syndrome was confirmed to be frequently present among participants. The implications for these results and future directions for Princeton’s athletic department were discussed.Keywords: pluralistic ignorance, imposter syndrome, stigma