Self-handicapping
Self-handicapping is placing obstacles in the way of your own performance so that failure can be attributed to the obstacle rather than to your ability. Berglas and Jones named it in 1978. Procrastination is one of its most common forms: if you start the essay the night before, a bad grade means you ran out of time, while a good grade means you are brilliant. Either way, your ability was never truly tested.
| Field | Social psychology |
|---|---|
| Key researchers | Steven Berglas, Edward Jones, Ray Higgins |
| Related concepts | Fear of failure, perfectionism, impostor feelings, ego protection |
How it works
In Berglas and Jones' 1978 experiments, people whose earlier success felt lucky rather than earned were more likely to choose a performance-impairing drug before a retest, buying an excuse in advance. The logic is attributional: an obstacle makes failure ambiguous and success more impressive. Procrastination, conveniently, is an obstacle you can deny creating. Research links self-handicapping to fear of failure and to contingent self-worth, where ability feels like identity, so testing it feels like risking yourself.
The cost, and the way out
The protection is real but expensive: chronic self-handicappers perform worse over time, and the untested-ability story blocks the mastery experiences that would build genuine confidence. Two things loosen the pattern. First, separating performance from worth, which is where self-compassion research is directly relevant: Sirois (2013) found self-compassion linked to less procrastination, partly because failure stings less when it is not a verdict on you. Second, lowering the stakes of any single test: drafts, rehearsals and small public attempts make ability a thing you grow rather than a secret you guard.
Related
Sirois (2013) on self-compassionTypes of procrastinator
Frequently asked questions
Am I procrastinating to protect my ego?
A useful test: imagine the task graded anonymously, with no one, including you, treating the result as a measure of your talent. If the dread shrinks, part of your delay is probably self-handicapping, and the target is the fear of the verdict, not your time management.