People may use self-handicapping strategies to protect their ego and preserve their self-esteem. By engaging in self-handicapping, individuals create a potential excuse or explanation for their potential failure or poor performance. This enables them to attribute any negative outcomes to external factors rather than to their personal abilities or efforts. It serves as a defense mechanism to maintain a positive self-image, even in the face of potential failure.
Research has been conducted to understand the motivations and consequences of self-handicapping behavior. One notable study by Berglas and Jones (1978) investigated self-handicapping in a laboratory setting. Participants were given the opportunity to take performance-enhancing drugs, either reported or unreported, before engaging in a task. The researchers found that participants who had an opportunity to self-handicap (by taking the unreported, performance-enhancing drug) performed worse compared to those who did not have such an opportunity. This suggests that people may deliberately create obstacles or impediments to their own success to protect their ego.
In another study, Tice (1991) explored the relationship between self-esteem and self-handicapping behavior. Participants were given a choice between taking a diagnostic test where they could potentially fail or an easier non-diagnostic test. The study found that individuals with low self-esteem were more likely to engage in self-handicapping strategies by choosing the diagnostic test. This indicates that individuals with lower self-esteem may be more motivated to protect their ego by creating excuses for potential failure.
Furthermore, Rhodewalt and Vohs (2005) conducted a meta-analysis of various studies on self-handicapping. The findings suggested that self-handicapping strategies were more prevalent in situations where the possibility of failure was high and the stakes were important, such as academic or work-related tasks. Moreover, the analysis showed that self-handicapping was linked with lower subsequent performance, which implies that while it may provide temporary ego protection, it ultimately hinders actual achievement.
In summary, research has provided evidence of how self-handicapping serves as a protective mechanism for individuals to safeguard their self-esteem. The studies suggest that people engage in self-handicapping to externalize potential failures, but it may ultimately impede performance and hinder long-term achievement.
Why would people use self-handicapping to protect their ego? What research evidence is there and what did the researchers find?
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