Do You Set Yourself Up to Fail?
The late night before the exam, the excuse ready in advance - and what they protect
Some people make success harder for themselves right before it counts: they practise less, stay out late or let everyone know they are unwell. Psychologists call it self-handicapping, and it has a logic. If you fail with an obstacle in the way, the obstacle takes the blame; if you succeed anyway, you look even better. The catch is that the obstacle usually works, and over time the results show it.
Before you start There are no right answers. Pick what is usually true for you, not what sounds best.
Think of the tests, interviews, matches and deadlines of the last few years - the moments where a result said something about you.
What it measures
Three sides of self-handicapping: holding back effort before an evaluation, announcing excuses before the result is in, and the motive underneath - preferring an ambiguous failure to a clear verdict on your ability. Unlike procrastination, the point is not avoiding an unpleasant task but protecting what a result would say about you.
Based on: Self-handicapping (Jones & Berglas, 1978; Leary & Shepperd, 1986)
Possible results
Holding back effort
Whether you create real obstacles before something that counts.
Excuses in advance
Whether you announce reasons for failing before the result is in.
Protecting the verdict
Whether you would rather keep your ability untested than risk a clear no.
Common questions
Is self-handicapping the same as procrastination?
They overlap but are not the same. Procrastination is putting off a task you find unpleasant; self-handicapping is creating an obstacle - delay is only one option - so that a possible failure can be blamed on it rather than on your ability. You can put off a boring form with no self-handicapping at all, and self-handicap before an audition without delaying anything.
Does self-handicapping actually protect you?
In the moment, partly: a failure with an excuse attached stings less. Over time the cost tends to win. Zuckerman and colleagues followed students through a term and found that self-handicapping went with more withdrawal, worse grades and poorer adjustment, each feeding the other. A 2014 meta-analysis confirmed a negative link with academic achievement.
Why would anyone sabotage themselves on purpose?
Because the alternative can feel worse. If you try your hardest and fail, the failure points straight at your ability; if you fail after a late night, it points at the late night. Jones and Berglas proposed that this happens most when people are unsure of their competence and the outcome matters, which is why it clusters around exams, auditions and first attempts.
Sources
- Jones, E. E., & Berglas, S. (1978). Control of attributions about the self through self-handicapping strategies: The appeal of alcohol and the role of underachievement. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. doi:10.1177/014616727800400205
- Leary, M. R., & Shepperd, J. A. (1986). Behavioral self-handicaps versus self-reported handicaps: A conceptual note. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.51.6.1265
- Zuckerman, M., Kieffer, S. C., & Knee, C. R. (1998). Consequences of self-handicapping: Effects on coping, academic performance, and adjustment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.74.6.1619
- Schwinger, M., Wirthwein, L., Lemmer, G., & Steinmayr, R. (2014). Academic self-handicapping and achievement: A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology. doi:10.1037/a0035832
An honest note The best-known self-handicapping questionnaire gives a single score, so the three bars follow distinctions made in the research - what you do, what you say and why - rather than validated factors of one scale. The items are Quinthea's own wording adapted from the published research, so scores are not comparable to published norms. Most studies used students facing exams. This is not a diagnosis; if avoidance is seriously affecting your work or wellbeing, a psychologist can help.