A number of factors can increase his or her's susceptibility to Impostor Syndrome, namely the nature of his or her environment and those within it.

1. If an individual is surrounded by people who look and sound like him or her, he or she is more likely to feel confident. Likewise, if an individual is surrounded by people who do not look or sound like him or her, he or she is likely to feel less confident in the capabilities. This lack of confidence can ultimately contribute to feelings of inadequacy and cause him or her to question himself or herself.

2. Additionally, the way in which boys and girls are socialized to behave at a young age affects their likeliness to be more risk takers or more risk averse, girls taking on the latter attribute. With a fear of risk taking instilled in women at a young age, the workplace becomes a more difficult environment to survive  as he or she simultaneously doubt his or her capabilities and fear taking risks.

3. Lastly, the lack of visibility and of representation, particularly women and minorities, portrayed by the media has contributed to the perception of inadequacy by reinforcing sentiments. Since women rarely see positive representations (or any representations at all) of women in leadership positions, it is hard for women to believe they deserve to be where they are.

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