Which scenario is the best example of self-handicapping?
A)Musi is a cigarette smoker.He does not like to hear about the health risks of smoking.He therefore ignores such information, or dismisses it as invalid, and continues to smoke.
B)Neither Zanele nor her friends ever study very much for school.Since Zanele does not know anyone who studies very hard, she assumes that in fact no one ever studies hard.As a consequence, she continues to have terrible study habits.
C)Jacques has a big boxing match coming up, but he fears that he will lose.The week before the match, he claims that he is 'really busy with other studies,' and does not practise at all.Even though he may not realise he is doing this, he is setting himself up so that he will have an 'excuse' in case he loses the match.
D)Sometimes, when Olivia has a long day, she yells at her children when she gets home.She usually feels very bad about this right after doing it.But then she realises that she can 'justify' her behaviour ('I am the parent here,' she thinks, 'and I have the right to discipline my children.') In other words, she is able to rationalise, or excuse, a not-so-good behaviour.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jacques is setting himself up for an excuse in case he loses the match, which is the classic example of self-handicapping. Options A, B, and D are not examples of self-handicapping. Option A is an example of denial, option B is an example of false consensus bias, and option D is an example of rationalization.

Which Scenario Is the Best Example of Self-Handicapping