Academic self-handicapping is a maladaptive strategy that students use to protect their self-image when they anticipate failure. When self-handicapping, students choose to participate in behaviors that would potentially hurt their academic success. By doing so, they can attribute their failure to external, or circumstantial, causes. As a result, they can still assert that they are academically capable of receiving good grades, but use their environmental factors as an excuse for failing.

A large body of research has focused on studying potential antecedents of self-handicapping in academic settings. However, for the most part, findings have been scattered. In response, Schwinger et al. (2021) conducted a meta-analysis to determine the correlation between and effect sizes of academic self-handicapping and various antecedents, including personality traits (i.e. neuroticism, conscientiousness), self-related beliefs (i.e. self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-concept, incremental theory of ability), and emotional-motivational variables (i.e. achievement goals, implicit theories of intelligence, fear of failure, test anxiety), gender, and prior levels of achievement.

Through a literature search, Schwinger et al. (2021) identified and included 159 studies with a total of 81,630 participants. Then, they determined the correlation of the desired variables through statistical analysis, coding, and assessment of any possible biases.

Results showed that low levels of self-related beliefs, high levels of emotional-motivational variables, higher preference toward performance-approach goals, and high neuroticism were associated with high cases of self-handicapping. On the other hand, higher preference for mastery-approach goals, high conscientiousness, and prior achievement were associated with low frequencies of self-handicapping. In terms of gender, men demonstrated a stronger likelihood of self-handicap, as compared to women.

As EPIC collects data about students’ failure stories, we can use Schwinger et al. (2021)’s study to decipher whether students engage in self-handicapping behavior. As the theme of self-esteem and self-concept emerges during data collection, we may consider the relationship between these variables and failure.

To read about Schwinger et al. (2021)’s study in-depth, please retrieve it at:

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-98116-001.

Reference:

Schwinger, M., Trautner, M., Pütz, N., Fabianek, S., Lemmer, G., Lauermann, F., & Wirthwein, L. (2021). Why do students use strategies that hurt their chances of academic success? A meta-analysis of antecedents of academic self-handicapping. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000706