Discrepant and congruent high self-esteem: Behavioral self-handicapping as a preemptive defensive strategy

• Published in: Journal of experimental social psychology Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 1105 - 1108
• Main Authors: Lupien, Shannon P., Seery, Mark D., Almonte, Jessica L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.2010; Elsevier; Academic Press
• Subjects: Behavior. Attitude; Behavioral psychology; Behavioral Self-handicapping; Behavioural psychology; Behavioural sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Defensiveness; Discrepant High Self-esteem; Explicit Self-esteem; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Implicit Self-esteem; Psychological effects; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Self; Self esteem; Self-esteem IAT; Skills; Social psychology; Self-esteem IAT; Explicit Self-esteem; Defensiveness; Behavioral Self-handicapping; Discrepant High Self-esteem; Implicit Self-esteem; Human; Defensive behavior; Self handicap; Strategy; Self esteem; Coping; Failure
• ISSN: 0022-1031; 1096-0465
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2010.05.022

Discrepant high self-esteem (i.e., high explicit and low implicit self-esteem) has been associated with a number of defensive behaviors. This study investigated the use of behavioral self-handicapping as a preemptive defensive strategy among those with discrepant high self-esteem. Participants were told that an upcoming test of an important ability was only diagnostic of either exceptionally high or very low skills (i.e., only success or failure was diagnostic of ability) and were given the opportunity to behaviorally self-handicap by selecting from a range of performance-detracting versus neutral music choices. Results showed that when success was diagnostic, participants with discrepant high self-esteem engaged in significantly greater behavioral self-handicapping than other participants. This suggests that (1) the defensiveness of those with discrepant high self-esteem extends to the use of preemptive strategies such as self-handicapping, and (2) this defensiveness is triggered when the situation provides a test of exceptionally high ability.