Aj. Martin et al., Self-handicapping and defensive pessimism: Exploring a model of predictorsand outcomes from a self-protection perspective, J EDUC PSYC, 93(1), 2001, pp. 87-102
The present study is centrally concerned with self-handicapping and defensi
ve pessimism (comprising defensive expectations and reflectivity), the fact
ors that predict these strategies, and the associations between these strat
egies and a variety of academic outcomes. Major findings are that task orie
ntation negatively predicts both self-handicapping and defensive expectatio
ns and positively predicts reflectivity; uncertain personal control positiv
ely predicts defensive expectations, and to a lesser extent, self-handicapp
ing; and an external attributional orientation is positively associated wit
h self-handicapping, and to a lesser extent, defensive expectations. Both s
elf-handicapping and defensive expectations are negatively associated with
self-regulation and persistence, whereas reflectivity is positively associa
ted with these outcomes. Students high in self-handicapping received lower
end-of-year grades than did students low in self-handicapping and were less
likely to be in attendance 1 year later.