Trying Maya Best Not to Procrastinate

Originally proposed by Berglas and Jones (1978), self-handicapping occurs when individuals create obstacles before a task in order to blame potential failure on external factors rather than their own ability. By doing so, people protect their self-esteem and avoid confronting the disappointing possibility that they may lack the skills needed to succeed. 

To demonstrate this, Berglas and Jones (1978) had college students complete two tests. One group experienced success on the first test and expected to perform well again, while the other group took a difficult test, causing them to doubt their ability to succeed on the second. Before the second test, participants could choose a drug that would either enhance or impair their performance. Results showed that participants who felt uncertain about their ability were more likely to choose the impairing drug. Through this study, Berglas and Jones (1978) demonstrated that individuals deliberately create obstacles when anticipating failure. 

Leary and Shepperd (1986) proposed two types of self-handicapping. The first, self-reported handicapping, involves providing a verbal excuse or obstacle without actually harming performance. The second, behavioral handicapping, involves creating a real obstacle that genuinely impedes performance or chances of success, as seen in Berglas and Jones’ (1978) study, where participants knowingly chose a drug that would impair their performance.

I’m guilty of self-handicapping in several areas of my life, but the most consistent form I engage in is procrastination. A clear example of behavioral handicapping comes from my sophomore year of college, when I was taking a Learning and Cognition class. We were assigned a project that required analyzing a film and identifying how memory processes were represented in it. Intimidated by both the difficulty and length of the assignment, I put it off until the day before it was due. This resulted in the first—and thankfully only!—all-nighter I pulled in college, submitting the assignment just one hour before the deadline. 

Looking back, by delaying the assignment, I created a real barrier that could have harmed my grade, which would’ve allowed me to attribute my failure to a lack of time rather than my ability. Although I got a good grade, I can’t help but think I could’ve not only earned a higher score, but also enjoyed the assignment more if I’d taken my time completing it.

I also frequently engage in self-reported handicapping, particularly when I take tests, since I experience a lot of anxiety surrounding these. Regardless of how much I study, I often tell others, “I’m going to fail this test” or “I didn’t study enough.” In these cases, I’m verbally expressing anticipated failure as an excuse to protect myself, even when I know I studied hard and understand the material. In a way, this allows me to manage my expectations and protect my self-esteem if I don’t perform as well as I’d hoped. 

Although procrastination remains a challenge, I am aware of this tendency and actively work against it by keeping an organized schedule and, as always, Trying Maya Best to stay on track!

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Honor Code: I have acted with honesty and integrity in producing this work and am unaware of anyone who has not. /s/ Maya Moran Piedfort

References:

Berglas, S., & Jones, E. E. (1978). Drug choice as a self-handicapping strategy in response to noncontingent success. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 405-417.

Leary, M. R., & Shepperd, J. A. (1986). Behavioral self-handicaps versus self-reported self-handicaps: A conceptual note. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1265-1268