self theories in personality: lecture 3

Question 1

self-handicapping

Answer 1

putting obstacles in the way of success to provide an excuse for poor performances

Question 1

acquired/behavioral self-handicaps

Answer 1

actively doing something

Question 2

claimed self-handicaps

Answer 2

simply claiming something

Question 3

self handicaps serve 2 purposes

Answer 3

1. discount negative implications of failure
2. augment the positive implications of success

Question 4

Jones and Berglas (1978)
study: subject participants in a “study on effects of drugs on performance” subjects either took a trivally easy test or impossible difficult test
* after taking either test, subjects received success feedback
-for the “easy-test” subjects, this feedback was “performance-contingent”
-for the impossible test subjects this feedback was “ performance non-contingent”
subjects were then told they were going to take the same test again and they had the choice of taking either 1. performance-inhibiting drug or 2. performance-enhancing drug

Answer 4

results: the non-contingent success subjects were most likely to choose the performance inhibiting drug
* they were uncertain of their ability to perform well
* men will tend to consistently behaviorally self-handicap under conditions of performance uncertainty

Question 5

The self-handicapping scale

Answer 5

high sefl-handicappers were more likely to be entity theorists who pursued performance goals

Question 6

the function of self-handicapping

Answer 6

protect insecurely held self regard

Question 7

the paradox of self-handicapping

Answer 7

handicapper willing to suffer indignity of the strategy in order to protect a more central and desired self-attribute