Imposter Syndrome as Credential-Denial Wrong Attractor: A Displacement Framework Analysis

This paper applies the Displacement Framework to imposter syndrome, analysing it as a wrong-attractor state in which self-assessment systematically discounts genuine competence. Using displacement cost D(ξ), accumulated displacement Φ, and basin geometry, we show how the credential-denial basin deepens with each achievement: successes are attributed to luck or fraud rather than updating the self-model, while the displacement cost of accurate self-assessment paradoxically increases.

Nine formal propositions characterise the attribution asymmetry, basin-deepening through achievement, the Dunning-Kruger inverse geometry, and return paths through calibrated self-assessment. Published as part of The Phronesis Issues preprint series.