The role of ability judgements is self-handicapping

This research investigated whether self-handicapping preserves specific con ceptions of ability in a particular domain despite poor performance. Report s of preparatory behaviors and stress among introductory psychology student s were measured prior to an exam and subsequent performance, attributions f or the performance, and measures of global self-esteem and specific self-co nceptions were measured after the exam. Results indicated that high self-ha ndicappers reported reduced effort and more stress prior to the exam, perfo rmed worse on the exam, and made different attributions following the exam than did low self-handicappers. Although reported self-handicapping was det rimental to performance, male HSH individuals maintained positive conceptio ns of specific ability in psychology in spite of poorer performance. Moreov er, the results of path analyses indicated that it was these changes in spe cific ability beliefs that mediated changes in global self-esteem. These fi ndings suggest that the primary motivation underlying self-handicapping may be to protect conceptions of ability in a specific domain, which thereby s erves to protect global self-esteem.