Vanessa has an important presentation coming up at work, but she fears that she will do a poor job. The week before the presentation, she claims that she is feeling under the weather; she leaves work early almost every day and barely practices her presentation at all. Even though she may not realize what she is doing, Vanessa is setting herself up so that she will have an "excuse" in case the presentation does not go well. Social psychologists refer to this pattern of behavior as ____.
A) self-regulation
B) the self-reference effect
C) overjustification
D) self-handicapping

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Vanessa is engaging in self-handicapping behavior, which is when individuals intentionally create obstacles for themselves that can serve as excuses or explanations for poor performance. In this case, her claim of feeling under the weather and leaving work early are examples of self-handicapping.

Vanessa Has an Important Presentation Coming Up at Work, but She