Self-Handicapping

When a man blames others for his failures, it's a good idea to credit others with his successes. ~ H. W. Newton
An ironic extension of self-serving tendencies is our search for self-serving attributions about expected failures or losses. For example, the coach of a team who fears they may lose an upcoming match may warn, "Because of players' illnesses and injuries, we may have a hard time beating our rivals." This having been said, the team's loss can be rationalized as due to unavoidable difficulties rather than incompetence. Such self-disparagement in quest of more acceptable reasons for failure is known as self-handicapping.

Self-handicapping is defined as "any action or choice of performance setting that enhances the opportunities to externalize failure and to internalize success". It was first theorized by Edward E. Jones and Steven Berglas.

According to research, people will seek out obstacles to their own success that minimizes one's own performance as a cause for failure. In one study, subjects were given positive feedback on problem-solving tests, regardless of the subject's actual performance. Half the subjects had been given fairly easy problems, while the others were given difficult problems. Subjects were then given the choice between a "performance-enhancing drug" and one which would inhibit it. Those subjects who received the difficult problems were more likely to choose the impairing drug, and subjects who faced easy problems were more likely to choose the enhancing drug. It is argued that the subjects presented with hard problems, believing that their success had been due to chance, chose the impairing drug because they were looking for an external attribution (what might be called an "excuse") for expected poor performance in the future, as opposed to an internal attribution.

Self-handicapping can involve engaging in somewhat self-defeating or self-destructive behaviour, in the cause of establishing relatively acceptable reasons for failure. A shy man invites a woman to an unpleasant bar on a date; later he explains her rejection of him as due to bad atmosphere rather than his own unattractiveness. An intimidated job applicant oversleeps and fails to shower, groom or prepare prior to the hiring interview; later she blames not being hired on her "stupid alarm clock" rather than her own lack of skills or confidence.

Self-handicapping may be the cause of paradoxically limiting one's own ability to succeed and deliberately impairing oneself purely to avoid risk, maintain control and protect the ego and self-esteem.

When awareness of failure was induced, experimental subjects have unduly:

* Reduced their preparation for an athletic event
* Studied less for an exam
* Involved less effort
* Given their opponent an advantage
* Lowered expectations

Self-handicapping is more likely to occur when the task is "ego-involving" and failure is anticipated. Some studies suggest that women may be less disposed to and less tolerant of self-handicapping than men. Thomas Gilovich makes a distinction between "real" self-handicapping, where people actually obstruct their own success, and "feigned" self-handicapping where they merely draw attention to potential obstacles. People may self-handicap to manage the impressions of others, or of themselves (though studies have been unable to test the latter).

The danger of self-handicapping obviously is that in manufacturing a "more acceptable" excuse for failure, we may guarantee a failure that may otherwise have been unlikely.



To a woman who complained about her destiny the Master said, "It is you who make your destiny."

"But surely I am not responsible for being born a woman?"

"Being born a woman isn't destiny.That is fate. Destiny is how you accept your womanhood and what you make of it."