An impression management interpretation of the self-handicapping strategy.

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to explore the impression management underpinnings of the self-handicapping strategy . Sixty-four male introductory psychology students were given success feedback after completing soluble or insoluble analogies. While anticipating a second test, subjects were allowed to choose between drugs that would either enhance or encumber their performance. Subjects who had worked on insoluble problems chose the debilitating drug, but only when the experimenter witnessed the choice. They were most likely to choose the debilitating drug when the experimenter was present and when they believed that the experimenter would have access to their score on the anticipated second test. The data are cautiously interpreted as consistent with an impression management view of self-handicapping.

Self-handicapping, excuse making, and counterfactual thinking: Consequences for self-esteem and future motivation.

“…A consideration of variables that motivate self-handicapping behavior may provide a starting point for answering this important remaining question. Although not an exhaustive list, tasks that are important and that have implications for self-evaluations of ability and intelligence (Shepperd & Arkin, 1989a, 1989b, the experience of noncontingent success Thompson, 2004), the presence of an audience (Hirt et al, 2000;Kolditz & Arkin, 1982), the adoption of performance rather than mastery goals (Elliot, Cury, Fryer, & Huguet, 2006;Urdan, 2004), and the framing of a task in prevention rather than promotion terms (Hendrix & Hirt, 2008) have all been shown to increase self-handicapping behavior. Thus, these conditions would also likely motivate individuals to use counterfactuals for self-protection rather than for selfimprovement.…”

Locus of control, attributions and impression management in the selection interview

“…Moreover, Higgins and Snyder (1989) argue that such "excuses" are both ubiquitous and adaptive. As causal attributions are particularly frequent in evaluative situations (Jones & Berglas, 1978), when the outcome is considered important, and when performance is public rather than private (Koditz & Arkin, 1982), it is perhaps not surprising that spoken attributions are produced frequently by candidates during selection interviews (Silvester, 1997). Yet virtually no research that has considered the role played by candidate explanations in the selection interview.…”

“Os meus pais só me criticam” – Relações entre práticas educativas parentais (perfecionismo e crítica) e a autoestima, o autoconceito académico, a motivação e a utilização de estratégias de self-handicapping

“…Os jovens que percecionam os seus pais como críticos e exigentes revelam um maior recurso à utilização destas estratégias do que os jovens que não percecionam os seus pais como críticos e exigentes. Estes resultados vão de encontro a vários estudos anteriores que relacionam o perfecionismo e crítica com o recurso à utilização de estratégias de self-handicapping escolar (e.g., Kolditz & Arkin, 1982;McCrea & Hirt, 2001), na medida em que, este tipo de estratégias são utilizadas, quer para proteger a autoestima do aluno, quer para se proteger dos julgamentos dos outros significativos. Esta poderá ser mesmo das razões mais importantes uma vez que, como referem Urdan e Midgley (2001), o aluno que utiliza estas estratégias não tem medo de falhar, tendo na verdade medo dos julgamentos que os outros possam fazer sobre si perante a falha.…”