Academic self-handicapping and their correlates in adolescence

• Author: Cocorada, E.
• Position: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 57-64

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Vol. 4 (53) •No. 2 - 2011

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law

ACADEMIC SELF-HANDICAPPING AND

THEIR CORRELATES IN ADOLESCENCE

Elena COCORADĂ1

Abstract: The self-handicapping has been examined as a self-protective

strategy, used by adults and young, males and females, in different situations

assessed as threatening for t he positive self-esteem. The purpose of this study

is to explore the rel ations between self-handicapping and some variables

relevant in the academic field as learning motivation, academic results, self-

esteem. Age and gender are the criteria of our analysis. The results suggest

the males and later adolescents (males and females) self-handicap more that

the females and the young adolescent s. Self-esteem and some components of

learning motivation are the variables that influence self-handicapping at

significant levels.

Key words: self-handicapping, learning motivation, adolescents.

1 Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Transilvania University of Braşov.

1. Introduction

Self-handicaps are obstacles created or

claimed by the individual in anticipation of

a failure and can influence their

performance and mood [1]. Self-

handicapping offers the opportunity to

protect the persons’ fragile image, to

externalize failure and internalize success.

Often, the barrier is evaluated as external,

but sometimes, it is evaluated as internal to

the self-handicappers, excluding their

competencies and abilities [4], [1].

Past studies examined self-handicapping

as a ‘motivational’ strategy used by adults

and young adolescents [22], [16]. Self-

handicapping is conceptualized as a

defensive strategy, similar to

rationalization. The individual builds an

excuse for a potential failure, but the built

defence sometimes affects performance,

because it reduces the effort necessary to

obtain success [20]. Numerous studies that

examined gender differences found

inconsistent results: they found that males

and females were equally likely to claim a

handicap [15], while others found effects

only for males [1], [10-11], [18]. The

recent researches suggest that both women

and men self-handicap in different

situations [8], [10].

Concerning the age, the results have

proven the tendency of older girls to score

higher on self-handicapping than younger

girls did [8]. The negative correlations

between self-handicapping and self

concept clarity, self-oriented perfectionism

and higher self-esteem have been

identified [3], [14], [16]. Positive

correlations have been detected between