Dysfunctional anticipatory thoughts and the self‐handicapping strategy

Datos Bibliográficos

ID10901122
AutoresSean M Mccrea (0000-0003-4241-5530, Department of Psychology University of Wyoming Laramie USA, autor de correspondencia), Aneka Flamm (Department of Psychology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany)
Año2012
Volumen42
Número1
Páginas72-81
Fecha de publicación2012-02-01
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEuropean Journal of Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0046-2772 • E-ISSN: 1099-0992
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ejsp.845
OpenAlexW1498080447
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas43

Self‐handicapping is an anticipatory self‐protective strategy in which individuals create or claim obstacles to success prior to an important performance to excuse potential failure. The present research sought in four studies to document the anticipatory nature of self‐handicapping, examining the role of prefactual (“what if ...?”) thoughts in this strategy. Individuals prone to self‐handicap were more likely to generate prefactuals, identifying ways to undermine their performance. Moreover, inducing individuals to consider these thoughts increased self‐handicapping behavior, whereas focusing individuals on ways to improve their performance actually reduced self‐handicapping behavior. Implications of this work for understanding the cognitive processes underlying self‐handicapping behavior and for interventions that seek to minimize this self‐defeating behavior are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Cognition · Dysfunctional family · Excuse · Psychotherapist · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports · Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology