Sandbagging in Competition: Responding to the Pressure of Being the Favorite

Abstract

Previous research suggests that high sandbaggers are more likely to sandbag when performance pressure is high. The current research proposed that (a) being favored in competition increases performance pressure and (b) high sandbaggers will be more likely to sandbag when favored in competition. Experiment 1 demonstrated that favored competitors are perceived as being under more pressure and that high sandbaggers believe that this pressure is related to choking. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that when favored in competition, high sandbaggers are more likely to sandbag. Results suggest that being favored in competition leads to additional performance pressure and that high sandbaggers respond to this pressure by sandbagging. Data also further demonstrate the distinction between sandbagging and self-handicapping.