A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Coaching to Mitigate the Impostor Phenomenon in Early-Career Software EngineersDistinguished Paper Award
This program is tentative and subject to change.
[Context] The Impostor Phenomenon (IP), the persistent belief of being a fraud despite evident competence, is common in Software Engineering (SE), where high expectations for expertise and innovation prevail. Although coaching and similar interventions are proposed to mitigate IP, empirical evidence in SE remains underexplored. [Objective] This study examines the impact of a structured group coaching intervention on reducing IP feelings among early-career software engineers. [Method] We conducted a quasi-experiment with 20 participants distributed across two project teams using a wait-list control design, complemented by non-participant observation. The treatment group received a three-session coaching intervention, while the control group received it after an observation phase. IP was assessed using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS), alongside evaluated measures of well-being (WHO-5), life satisfaction (SWLS), and affect (PANAS). [Results] The coaching resulted in modest reductions in CIPS scores, whereas the control group also improved during the observation phase, suggesting that contextual and temporal factors may have exerted stronger influence than the formal intervention. [Conclusion] These results suggest that coaching may support reflection and awareness related to IP, yet other contextual aspects of team collaboration and project work might also contribute to these changes. This study offers a novel empirical step toward understanding how structured IP interventions operate within SE environments.
This program is tentative and subject to change.
Mon 13 AprDisplayed time zone: Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil change
09:00 - 10:30 | Opening, Hiring, and Careers SessionResearch Track / CHASE Program at Oceania IX Chair(s): Alexander Serebrenik Eindhoven University of Technology, Patricia Matsubara Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Ronnie de Souza Santos University of Calgary | ||
09:00 15m | Opening CHASE Program | ||
09:15 10mShort-paper | Struggling to Connect: A Researcher’s Reflection on Networking in Software Engineering Research Track Shalini Chakraborty University of Bayreuth | ||
09:25 15mFull-paper | Mapping the Skills and Roles of Experimentation in Software Organizations: Evidence from 1,800 Job Postings Research Track Nils Stotz Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Kevin Anderson , Paul Drews Leuphana University of Lüneburg | ||
09:40 15mFull-paper | How Does Cognitive Capability and Personality Influence Problem-Solving in Coding Interview Puzzles? Research Track Dulaji Hidellaarachchi RMIT University, John Grundy Monash University, Sebastian Baltes Heidelberg University Pre-print | ||
09:55 15mFull-paper | Constructive Patterns for Human-Centered Tech Hiring Research Track Allysson Allex Araújo Federal University of Cariri, Gabriel Vasconcelos Federal University of Cariri (UFCA), Marvin Wyrich Saarland University, Maria Teresa Baldassarre Department of Computer Science, University of Bari , Paloma Guenes Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) | University of Bari (UniBa), Marcos Kalinowski Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) Pre-print | ||
10:10 15mFull-paper | A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Coaching to Mitigate the Impostor Phenomenon in Early-Career Software EngineersDistinguished Paper Award Research Track Paloma Guenes Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) | University of Bari (UniBa), Joan Leite Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Allysson Allex Araújo Federal University of Cariri, Rafael Tomaz Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Maria Teresa Baldassarre Department of Computer Science, University of Bari , Jean Natividade Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Marcos Kalinowski Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) Pre-print | ||