What is self-handicapping?
Self-handicapping is creating, or pointing to, obstacles that make success less likely before an important evaluation. Staying up all night gaming before an exam or putting off rehearsing a presentation are classic examples. If you fail, you can say "I didn’t prepare," which shields you from the conclusion that you lack ability. If you succeed anyway, your ability looks even more impressive.
- Meaning
- Creating obstacles that can excuse a possible failure
- First experiment
- Berglas & Jones (1978)
- Theoretical basis
- Attribution theory (discounting and augmentation)
- Types
- Behavioral and claimed self-handicapping
Why do people do it?
Attribution theory explains that when there are several plausible causes for an outcome, each one gets less weight (the discounting principle). An obstacle gives failure a cause other than low ability. And succeeding despite an obstacle makes ability look stronger (the augmentation principle). Self-handicapping is thus insurance for the belief "I am capable," and it is most common when that belief feels shaky.
The Berglas and Jones experiment
Would anyone told they had succeeded choose a drug that might hurt their performance? Berglas and Jones (1978) had college students solve problems and told all of them they had done well. One group had solvable problems; the other had mostly unsolvable ones, so they could not be sure why they had "succeeded." Before a second test, participants chose between a drug said to enhance performance and one said to impair it. Men who were uncertain about the reason for their success were more likely to choose the impairing drug, giving them a ready excuse if they failed next time.
The study showed that self-handicapping can stem from fear that a success will be exposed as a fluke.
Behavioral vs. claimed self-handicaps
| Type | What it is | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioral | Actually creating an obstacle | Procrastinating, skipping practice, pulling an all-nighter, heavy drinking |
| Claimed | Saying an obstacle exists | "I’ve been sick," "I didn’t sleep at all last night" |
Consequences
- Lower performance: less preparation tends to produce worse results.
- A vicious cycle: poor results feed anxiety and more excuses, a pattern that can resemble learned helplessness.
- Social costs: people who often make excuses may be seen as less conscientious.
How to reduce it
- Focus on process goals: set targets you control, such as study time and strategies, rather than only grades.
- Treat ability as something that grows: if failure is information rather than a verdict, excuses become less necessary. See also self-efficacy.
- Notice the excuse in advance: if you are already planning what to say if you fail, that is a warning sign.
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-handicapping?
- It is creating or claiming obstacles before a performance so that a possible failure can be blamed on the obstacle rather than on a lack of ability.
- What are examples of self-handicapping?
- Gaming the night before an exam, delaying preparation for a presentation, or telling others in advance that you feel unwell.
- Is self-handicapping the same as procrastination?
- Procrastination is a common form of self-handicapping, but not all procrastination is driven by a wish to protect self-image.
References
- Berglas, S., & Jones, E. E. (1978). Drug choice as a self-handicapping strategy in response to noncontingent success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(4), 405–417. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.36.4.405