Thompson T, Richardson A
School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-30, Hobart, 7001, Tasmania, Australia.
Br J Educ Psychol. 2001 Mar;71(Pt 1):151-70. doi: 10.1348/000709901158442.
Self-handicapping involves the strategic establishment of an impediment or obstacle to success prior to a performance situation which thereby provides a convenient excuse for poor performance.
The study sought to establish that relative to low trait self-handicappers, high trait self-handicappers exposed to failure in an intellectually evaluative situation will (a) pre-emptively claim more handicaps, and (b) behaviourally self-handicap through reduced practice effort, and (c) report greater anxiety and negative affect relative to low trait self-handicappers.
Participants were 72 undergraduate students, divided equally between high and low self-handicapping groups.
This study utilised a 2 (self-handicapping status: high, low) x 3 (performance feedback: fail, low task importance; fail, high task importance; success) between-subjects factorial design to investigate claimed and behavioural self-handicapping through reduced practice effort. This was done by manipulating performance outcome and perceived task importance.
Relative to low trait self-handicappers, high trait high self-handicappers claimed more handicaps and engaged in greater behavioural self-handicapping following failure when working on tasks that were described as potentially diagnostic of low ability. While low self-handicappers internalised their success more than their failure in the high task importance condition, high self-handicappers were undifferentiated in their attributions across performance conditions. Greater anxiety and greater negative affect were also characteristic of high self-handicappers.
The study highlights the self-protective benefit of self-handicapping in sparing the individual from conclusions of low ability, and the failure of high self-handicappers to fully internalise their success. These elements and the role of uncertain estimates of ability are discussed in considering implications for intervention.
自我设限是指在表现情境之前，策略性地设置一个阻碍成功的障碍，从而为不佳表现提供一个便利的借口。
本研究旨在证实，相对于低特质自我设限者，在智力评估情境中遭遇失败的高特质自我设限者将会：（a）先发制人地声称更多的障碍；（b）通过减少练习努力在行为上进行自我设限；（c）相对于低特质自我设限者，报告更多的焦虑和消极情绪。
参与者为72名本科生，平均分为高自我设限组和低自我设限组。
本研究采用2（自我设限状态：高、低）×3（表现反馈：失败、任务重要性低；失败、任务重要性高；成功）被试间析因设计，通过减少练习努力来研究声称的和行为上的自我设限。这是通过操纵表现结果和感知到的任务重要性来实现的。
相对于低特质自我设限者，高特质高自我设限者在从事被描述为可能诊断出低能力的任务时，在失败后声称更多的障碍，并表现出更大程度的行为自我设限。在高任务重要性条件下，低自我设限者将成功更多地归因于自身，而将失败归因于外部；高自我设限者在不同表现条件下的归因没有差异。高自我设限者还表现出更大的焦虑和更多的消极情绪。
本研究强调了自我设限在使个体免于得出低能力结论方面的自我保护益处，以及高自我设限者未能充分将成功归因于自身。在考虑干预的影响时，将讨论这些因素以及能力不确定估计的作用。
